What is AMF?
The AMF is the primary control-plane interface between the UE and the 5G Core network (5GC). It manages all aspects of UE registration, authentication, mobility, and reachability — effectively replacing the 4G MME (Mobility Management Entity) in a cloud-native, service-based form.
How Does AMF Work?
The AMF terminates the N1 interface (NAS signalling toward the UE) and the N2 interface (signalling toward the gNB via NGAP). It coordinates with the AUSF for authentication, with the SMF for session management, and with the NSSF for network slice selection. In the 5GC SBA, the AMF exposes its capabilities via the Namf service interface over HTTP/2.
Use Cases
Every 5G device registration and authentication, network handovers between gNBs, idle-to-connected state transitions, emergency call handling, lawful intercept coordination.
3GPP / Standards Reference
3GPP TS 23.501 (System Architecture), TS 29.518 (Namf Service Definition)
Related Terms
SMF | AUSF | UDM | PCF | NRF | gNB | SBA | NSSF
Learn More
This glossary entry is part of the 5GWorldPro Complete 5G Glossary. To go deeper into 5G architecture and technology, explore our 5G Training courses.
