5G and the edge: Convergence is accelerating

When evaluating the technologies that will be most productive in the coming years, two stand out: 5G networks and edge computing. At a recent summit hosted by Futurum and Moor, leading industry speakers explored the power and potential of these technologies.

“Our customers tell us that 5G automation and extracting real-time insights from data at the edge are major areas of investment,” said Allison Dew, chief marketing officer and executive vice president at Dell Technologies. She advised organizations to “Elevate your systems and processes to be ready for what’s next. You need relevant, complete and real-time data to win and retain customers, streamline your supply chain and enable growth. This applies to expected and unexpected events, from predictable peak seasons to deploying new technologies and even moving employees to remote on weekends, as we did in March 2020.”

Edge and 5G will serve organizations in both the current situation and future disruptions. “5G and edge are deeply connected to each other,” said Cédric Bourrely, project lead for Capgemini Invent and 5G Labs, who also spoke at the event. “5G is the first generation of mobile communications designed for all industries. Previous generations of mobile communications technology were dedicated to the masses, and now we are really moving to the industrial side of it. 5G technology is for industry, smart cities, and smart factories. It’s really a differentiator.”

Conference speakers agreed that edge- and 5G-enabled computing is already delivering business capabilities. “We’ve seen a lot of pilots and proofs of concept over the last few months, 18 months,” said Charles Ferland, vice president and general manager of Lenovo Edge Computing and Communications Service Provider. “It’s becoming a reality because now we’re starting to see shipments and projects with hundreds and even thousands of devices around the world.”

Emerging applications for 5G and edge include self-driving cars that can be tightly integrated with broader enterprise operations. “We developed a typical autonomous intelligent vehicle, AIV, that computes, picks up packages in a warehouse at the edge,” Bourrely said. “And not only at the equipment site, but also gets all the benefits from the high power on the edge side and the cloud side, with very low reactivity. It’s powered by the 5G network.”

Another area is healthcare, where 5G-powered edge technology "will help patients, for enhanced operating rooms, for everything related to mobile connectivity from the home to the hospital, from using images to care for the patient."

Bourrely continued, saying there are many compelling cases for 5G-driven edge computing. “Today, the amount of data that’s being processed is growing exponentially. You need to get powerful computing power very close to the network, and you also need to constrain the bandwidth that will be used, both in terms of latency and real-time quantities, and even sustainability conditions. So it’s really a very deep connection between 5G and the edge. We see this convergence between the IT world, the OT world, and the network world.”

A successful 5G-driven edge strategy doesn’t happen in a vacuum; it requires collaboration across the enterprise. “This is essentially the next evolution of agile working, enabled by a cloud-based service model that aligns with the business outcomes we need to drive,” Dew said. “A strong technology foundation with proven processes and tools that speed iteration, improve efficiency, and drive compliance is critical. We are building on this foundation as we transition to services. It’s also important to have team members committed to understanding and addressing each opportunity, rather than focusing solely on technical issues. Whatever your digital transformation strategy, real improvements come from collaboration between business owners and technology teams.”

The events of the past year have taught business leaders that in order for their industries to be resilient, “constant and direct access to data and control over processes is absolutely mandatory,” Bourrely said. “We see it in supply chains, we see it in hospitals. Remote work can only be done with complete control of the data. That’s enabled by smart algorithms, and we need to execute in real time close to where the data is generated, close to the devices. So that means new means, new architectures, new hardware, new software, and obviously new connectivity. 5G and edge is really proving now that it can help, and in future crises, it will be more resilient because of this advancement.”

Looking ahead, “We face an exciting opportunity to reimagine what’s possible,” Dew said. “5G automation and real-time insights from edge data are becoming mainstream. New as-a-service models provide greater IT flexibility, agility, and control to quickly meet changing business needs. Technology is at the heart of new ways of working, and in our experience, it creates a more inclusive, productive, and happier workforce.”