I think AT&T is one to monitor. A quick look has them very interested in the benefits of edge computing for their network.
'AT&T is building its network AI platform to scale from the core to the edge. It's also deploying white boxes with its DANOS operating system as it works towards disaggregation.
AI is the key ingredient for implementing numerous projects and platforms for AT&T. AT&T is putting more intelligence into its mobile edge compute (MEC) at the customer edge and into its radio access network (RAN.) It's using AI to manage its third-party cloud arrangements, such as Microsoft, and in its internal cloud and hybrid clouds.
"We're rethinking the RAN completely," he said. "We're pushing some of that intelligence to the RAN, where it's needed, all the way to the data centers, national, local, regional data centers."
AT&T is using AI and machine learning (ML) to build its 5G infrastructure to map its cell towers, fiber lines, and other transmitters that exist today, and to pinpoint the best location for 5G build outs in the future.
AT&T has more than 75,000 macro cells in its network and plans to build hundreds of thousands of small cells as well adding picocells, all of which will be guided by AI, AT&T's internal network data and third-party data.'