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User Data Collection and Reporting

At a glance
  • What it is: a generic architecture for collecting and reporting data in the 5G System, with its APIs and data models.
  • The central function: the Data Collection AF collects UE data from clients, processes it, and exposes events to the NWDAF and Event Consumer AFs.
  • Releases: created in Release 17; Release 18 adds immediate report delivery and ANBR-based Network Assistance reporting.

Why it exists​

The 5G System defines a set of event exposure services (SP-200937, clause 3 (Network Event usage)). The Application Function Exposure Service (Naf_EventExposure) is consumed by NF service consumers such as the NEF, NWDAF, DCCF, MFAF and the Event Consumer AF (TS 29.517 V20.1.0 clause 4.1.2). For instance, the NWDAF derives analytics information, which is either statistical information of the past events or predictive information (TS 23.288 V20.2.0 clause 5.1).

The 5G Media Streaming System logs the use of content hosting, which is equivalent to the information in CDN access logs, and QoE metrics and consumption reports are reported to its Data Collection AF (TS 26.501 V20.0.0 clause 4.0.2 and clause 4.7.2.1). SA4 proposed in the Release 17 study item (SP-200937, clause 3) that information available in the 5GMS System be offered by the 5GMS AF as events to the NWDAF and to the Application Provider; clauses 4.7.3 and 4.7.4 of TS 26.501 define the event data and its access restrictions (SP-200937 clause 3 (Network Event usage); TS 26.501 V20.0.0 clauses 4.7.3 and 4.7.4).

3GPP defined a generic architecture that is instantiated in domain-specific ways; 5G Media Streaming is one such instantiation (TS 26.501 clause 4.7) (TS 26.531 V19.0.0 clause 4.1 and clause 4.2, NOTE 4). The definitions of the instantiations are beyond the scope of TS 26.531 (TS 26.531 V19.0.0 clause 4.2, NOTE 4); the one for 5G Media Streaming is defined in TS 26.501 V20.0.0 clause 4.7.

The main functions​

Generic architecture
Reference architecture for data collection and reporting in reference point notationRedrawn from TS 26.531 V19.0.0, figure 4.2-1
In 5G Media Streaming
Data collection and reporting architecture instantiation for 5G Media StreamingRedrawn from TS 26.501 V20.0.0, figure 4.7.1-1

Click a figure to enlarge it. The data collection roles are shown in rose.

  • Data Collection AF: manages the provisioning state for data collection and reporting, processes the collected UE data, and realises the Event Exposure Service (TS 26.531 V19.0.0 clause 4.2 (item 2)). Processing includes reporting format conversion, data normalisation, anonymisation and (dis)aggregation of data into the reports exposed as events (TS 26.531 V19.0.0 clause 4.2 (item 2)).
  • Provisioning AF: a function of the Application Service Provider that provisions data collection and reporting in the Data Collection AF at R1 (TS 26.531 V19.0.0 clause 4.2 (item 1)).
  • Data collection clients: the Direct Data Collection Client in the UE (R2), the Indirect Data Collection Client of the Application Service Provider (R3), and the Application Server (R4) (TS 26.531 V19.0.0 clause 3.1 and clause 4.2 (items 3, 5, 6)). Each first obtains a data collection and reporting configuration from the Data Collection AF, then sends data reports to it (TS 26.531 V19.0.0 clause 4.6.3).
  • Event consumers: the NWDAF, the primary consumer of processed UE data (R5), and the Event Consumer AF of the Application Service Provider (R6) (TS 26.531 V19.0.0 clause 4.2 (items 7, 8)).

The set of UE data collected and exposed is the intersection between the provisioning state provided at R1 and the current set of subscriptions (TS 26.531 V19.0.0 clause 4.2). The Data Collection AF is intended to be instantiated inside another Application Function, to meet the data collection and reporting needs of particular 5G System features (TS 26.531 V19.0.0 clause 4.2, NOTE 4).

In 5G Media Streaming​

5G Media Streaming instantiates the generic architecture for both downlink and uplink media streaming (TS 26.501 V20.0.0 clause 4.0.12 and clauses 4.7.2.1, 4.7.2.2). It lets the 5GMS System log data about media streaming sessions and expose it to subscribers as events (TS 26.501 V20.0.0 clause 4.0.12).

  • The Data Collection AF is instantiated in the 5GMS AF, and the Direct Data Collection Client in the Media Session Handler (TS 26.501 V20.0.0 clause 4.7.1). The 5GMS AS plays the AS role, and the Event Consumer AF sits in the 5GMS Application Provider (TS 26.501 V20.0.0 clause 4.7.1).
  • The Provisioning AF and the Indirect Data Collection Client are not instantiated (TS 26.501 V20.0.0 clause 4.7.1). Data collection is provisioned at M1 instead (TS 26.501 V20.0.0 clause 4.7.1).
  • The data reported covers QoE metrics, media consumption, dynamic policy and Network Assistance invocations, and media streaming access activity reported by the 5GMS AS (TS 26.501 V20.0.0 clause 4.7.2.1 and clause 4.7.2.2).

How it grew​

  • Release 17: the EVEX work item (5GMS AF Event Exposure) creates TS 26.531 and TS 26.532, and instantiates them in TS 26.501 and TS 26.512 (WID SP-210374 clause 5). TR 21.917 clause 15.6 relates it to the SA2 work item eNA_Ph2, which lists UE data as an input for analytics generation via an AF and user consent for UE data collection (TR 21.917 clause 9.4.3), and to the CT3 work item EVEX, which extended TS 29.517, TS 29.522 and TS 29.591.
  • Release 18: a UE Application may instruct the Direct Data Collection Client to prioritise immediate delivery of a data report. ANBR-based Network Assistance invocations are reported at R2, and TS 26.512 specifies the event data types itself.
  • Release 19: TS 26.531 and TS 26.532 are the Release 18 content carried forward.
  • Release 19, Advanced Media Delivery: TR 21.919 clause 11.6 describes in-band reporting for Common Client Metadata in TS 26.501, for analytics and exposure via NWDAF, and Common Media Client Data reporting based on CTA-5004 at Stage 3; TS 26.512 V19.3.0 carries it (see the 5G Media Streaming section of the features page).
  • Release 20: no work item in the work plan of 28 September 2026 lists TS 26.531 or TS 26.532.
Sources for this page
  • Why it exists: SID SP-200937 (FS_5GMS_EXT), clause 3; TS 29.517 V20.1.0, clause 4.1.2; TS 23.288 V20.2.0, clause 5.1; TS 26.501 V20.0.0, clauses 4.0.2, 4.7.2.1, 4.7.3 and 4.7.4.
  • The main functions: TS 26.531 V19.0.0, clauses 3.1, 4.1 and 4.6.3, and clause 4.2, items 1 to 8 and NOTE 4.
  • Figures: redrawn from TS 26.531 V19.0.0, figure 4.2-1, and TS 26.501 V20.0.0, figure 4.7.1-1.
  • In 5G Media Streaming: TS 26.501 V20.0.0, clauses 4.0.12, 4.7.1 and 4.7.2.
  • How it grew: WID SP-210374 (EVEX), clause 5; TR 21.917 clauses 9.4.3 and 15.6; TR 21.919 clause 11.6; 3GPP work plan of 28 September 2026; TS 26.531 V19.0.0, clause 5.5 and change history; TS 26.532 V19.1.0, TS 26.501 V20.0.0 and TS 26.512 V19.3.0, change history.