Big things happening in Telco 5G industry for edge AI. 6G will have edge AI built in as standard.
Wonder when either Nvidia, Microsoft & Amazon will want a stake in BRN?
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As mobile network operators (MNOs) plan and build out 5G infrastructure, they face new choices about the direction their business will take. Today, most MNOs serve horizontal mass markets, providing voice and broadband data services to businesses and consumers. Even as networks evolved from 2G to 3G and then to 4G, the business has remained highly competitive. Meantime, over the top players such as Netflix, Google, Apple, and Amazon have grabbed the largest share of services revenue derived from faster network speeds. 5G networks, however, are creating new opportunities for network operators. Designed to accommodate secure verticalized B2B services through features such as network slicing, 5G networks open new service opportunities in sectors such as manufacturing, healthcare, finance, retail and the media.
At the same time, low latency, high speed 5G networks will enable computing power to sit very close to devices on the edge of the network, whether these are sensors in autonomous vehicles, IoT equipment for manufacturing, healthcare devices, smart city video networks, or immersive gaming headsets in the consumer sector. 5G and Edge computing combined with AI are the forces driving the next phase of digital transformation where sensors and things generate large amounts of data processed at the edge with AI.
Telcos are already in the process of preparing for the changes in services, network usage and architecture that 5G will bring. For example, several of the world’s largest mobile operators are cooperating through a GSMA backed initiative1 to create an interoperable telco edge architecture that provides a consistent platform for application developers. Called the Telco Edge Cloud (TEC), it will open up edge assets and capabilities such as latency, compute and storage to application developers and software vendors so new applications and services can meet the evolving needs of enterprise clients. Operators are not only building their own infrastructure and capabilities to explore new edge services, but are also partnering with cloud providers so that each can leverage each other’s strengths. The hyperscale cloud providers Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure and Google would like to tap into 5G’s ability to bring computing power physically closer to the edge of the network where enterprise and consumer devices lie. For operators, partnerships give them access to globally distributed, cloud based computing environments. Not every mobile operator will embrace offering verticalized services with the same enthusiasm, or take the same approach to building and delivering network edge services. What is clear is that 5G is set to shift operators’ service models away from monthly voice, data and messaging bundles and towards higher value services that are tuned for specific customer requirements — and that it will increasingly make use of edge computing.
Operators will also have to build partnerships that bring on board the expertise, services and infrastructure they need to deliver new B2B and consumer services. Many have already announced plans to work with the cloud hyperscalers Microsoft, AWS and Google Cloud, including AT&T, Orange, Verizon, Vodafone, SK Telecom, Telecom Italia and Telstra. Telcos can play a role in enabling multi cloud solutions that leverage their own edge in conjunction with the cloud provider’s capabilities.
Together Telstra and Microsoft want to use IoT, AI, edge computing and digital twin capabilities to develop industry solutions including asset tracking, supply chain management and telematics.
MNOs are also taking a parallel approach to creating an open ecosystem to capitalize on their 5Gedge assets. A number of MNOs worldwide, including China Unicom ,Deutsche Telekom, EE, KDDI, Orange, Singtel, SK Telecom and Telefonica have joined forces to develop an Edge Compute architectural framework and reference platform.
New edge applications are coming from innovators that leverage cutting edge technologies. Some examples are applications leveraging AI and deep learning to analyze video streams and infer insights from it. There is a growing ecosystem of application providers of such applications addressing multiple verticals such as retail, manufacturing and healthcare that could benefit from the GSMA initiative to scale its services through the Telco Edge infrastructure at a global scale.
Another nascent application ecosystem is related to AR and VR that can be streamed from the edge to devices through 5G, enabling much better user experience. AR/VRis an attractive 5G application for both enterprises and consumers that requires the throughput and low latency 5G offers, placing telcos in a strong position to leverage edge computing. Partnering to create new ecosystems.
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