Edge computing - a must for 5G success

Edge computing, also referred to as Mobile Edge Computing (MEC) or Multi-Access Edge Computing, is a distributed framework which brings processing and storage resources for applications closer to where data is generated or consumed.

By keeping the compute capacity close to the users, devices or data sources, edge solutions deliver benefits such as low latency, high bandwidth, device processing and data offload, improving the performance, security, operating cost and reliability of applications and services.

The infrastructure for edge computing is hosted by different types of service providers. Typically, the ‘edge’ where execution resources are provided is within or at the boundary of an access network. However, they can also be placed on-premise at enterprises, for example inside factory buildings, in homes or with the help of a wireless router in vehicles such as trains, planes, ambulances and private cars.

Some edge use cases require applications to be deployed across multiple sites. In such cases, a distributed cloud can be helpful, acting as an execution environment for applications over multiple sites, including connectivity managed as one solution.

Today’s CSPs are ideally positioned to deliver intelligent traffic routing from the mobile network to the optimal location of the application, as well as having people on the ground and expert knowledge of network topology, network efficiency, device management and more.

The evolution to cloud-native network functions and distributed cloud computing enables CSPs to move beyond traditional connectivity-service models and opens new doors to adjacent industries.

There are five interdependent key areas that have been identified by the standards, CSPs and analysists to be the most significant methods of defining and deploying an edge computing solution.