Editorial Fourth Edition of the IEEE JSAC Series on Network Softwarization & Enablers

Network softwarization emerged with the promise of network flexibility, rapid service revenues, while reducing at the same time the Capital Expenditure (CAPEX) and Operational Expenditure (OPEX). This has attracted operators, service providers, and stakeholders to invest in enabling technologies, such as Network Function Virtualization (NFV) and Software Defined Networking (SDN). On the verge of 5G networks, the research community is still investigating the enhancement of these key components, taking into account several vital objectives, such as ultra-short latency, availability, Quality of Service (QoS), and Quality of Experience (QoE).