Two Linked Technologies
The concept of cloud computing has matured over the years, and its benefits are clear. Serving as the connection between end devices and the cloud, the edge’s role has transitioned from a necessary compromise to the cloud paradigm to a valuable tool to improve operations. With the rollout of 5G technology, edge computing is set to undergo a bit of a revolution. Here are some of the ways these technologies will interact in the coming years.
One of the primary benefits of cloud computing is its ability to centralize both data and processing. Instead of having to ensure every device has a certain amount of data storage and processing capacity, users can instead rely on the cloud’s powerful capabilities, ensuring easier upgrades and a smoother user experience.
Modern paradigms often prefer to perform some of these tasks on edge infrastructure, which is closer to the end points.
When used properly, edge computing can cut back on lag, improve responsiveness, and make for easier scaling. Building redundancy into edge devices can also improve reliability. Although edge computing adds some conceptual complexity, the tradeoff is often worthwhile.
One of the strongest benefits of 5G is its ability to make data transactions faster. Edge computing is often used in situations where rapid responses are needed. Tapping into the lower latency of 5G devices lets organizations move operations from end-point devices to edge components in cases where using a centralized cloud server is not possible. With 5G potentially capable of delivering 1 millisecond latency, its performance can be tens to hundreds of times faster than current 4G infrastructure.
5G’s headline-grabbing feature is its ability to deliver speed of up to 10 gigabits per second, a staggering increase over 4G technology. With this speed, edge devices will be able to process types of data impossible with other technologies, including, for example, uncompressed or lightly compressed video at high resolutions. Furthermore, 5G can transform big data processing into a nearly real-time operation when paired with sufficient processing power. As such complex data processing is difficult and cumbersome on user devices, organizations can turn to edge computing to implement new use cases.
The interplay between the edge and both IoT and embedded devices has always needed careful fine-tuning. Too much reliance on embedded devices makes deployments more expensive and less flexible, while edge computing has to work within the limitations of 4G speeds and latency. By moving to 5G technology, the dynamics between edge computing and IoT devices change significantly, enabling new types of deployments that might prove invaluable for some organizations.
In some cases, it might be beneficial to cut back on the number of embedded devices in use and rely on the fast speeds of 5G connections to simplify operations; in other scenarios, it might be possible to perform fewer operations on IoT devices, relying instead on more powerful edge devices.
Using the public cloud typically entails using services provided by tech companies such as Amazon, Microsoft, and Google. However, this relationship stands to become a bit more complex, as telecommunication companies are becoming significant players in the market aside from their traditional role of providing connections between devices and cloud services. Multi-Access Edge Computing, a concept introduced by the European Telecommunications Standards Institute in 2014, was designed with the aim of moving edge operations from user and public cloud hardware to hardware owned by telecommunication providers.
The concept is to put edge computing as close as possible to towers and other telecommunication infrastructure, helping to deliver the speed and responsiveness needed to make the most of 5G technology. As a result, choosing which telecommunication provider is right for a particular use case may become more complex. However, users shouldn’t expect to see the telecommunication giants compete directly in more traditional cloud scenarios. AT&T, for example, has long had a partnership with Google, and such relationships are likely to be the norm going forward.
One of the benefits of edge computing is its flexibility. However, its implementation often appears to be somewhat ad hoc, meeting the needs of a particular use case but doing so in a manner that’s not especially generalizable. By adopting 5G technology, cloud providers and other entities aim to make edge computing a bit more like the public cloud. Instead of relying on tailored solutions designed to meet one use case, providers aim to develop a flexible interface that’s easy to adapt to a wide range of scenarios. By using virtualization, providers can ease the process of adding edge computing to an organization’s infrastructure.
As an example of how 5G technology can enable new uses of edge computing, consider self-driving cars. When operating autonomously, self-driving vehicles need to respond as quickly as possible, and the complexity of dealing with high-resolution video and LIDAR data is difficult with onboard electronics. With its potential 1 millisecond latency, edge computing combined with 5G can provide the near-instant responses necessary for autonomous vehicles to respond to difficult scenarios. Furthermore, 5G’s ability to handle many connections simultaneously might make it ideal for city driving scenarios, which are typically the most challenging for self-driving software.
Although edge computing has been in use since the earliest days of cloud computing, it’s typically been limited by the throughput and latency of mobile infrastructure. The rollout of 5G hasn’t been as fast as some anticipated, but new infrastructure is being built every day, and organizations can expect to see capabilities expand to a quickly growing geographical area. Instead of viewing 5G as an incremental improvement to cloud computing infrastructure, however, it’s best viewed as a revolutionary advancement. In many ways, 5G is just the technology needed to let edge computing to live up to its potential.