Exploration of 5G and edge computing applications in the post-epidemic era

AT&T and many other leading wireless network operators are gradually moving into edge computing in hopes that the field will eventually pay off handsomely. As part of their efforts, they are trying to drum up interest among potential customers by offering newer, faster and better services.

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AT&T Network Services Chief Technology Officer Andre Fuetsch recently shared an update on how the technology can be used in a post-COVID-19 world.

“One of the use cases we’re looking at is looking at how we can use computer vision technology to help the retail industry adapt to this new social distancing norm,” Fuetsch said at the Wells Fargo 5G Forum in June. “How do you operate a retail store and have your employees and your customers follow social distancing guidelines?”

Fuetsch explained that computer vision technology can determine whether employees are wiping down counters to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. It can also check whether shoppers are maintaining adequate social distance, he said. The technology can do this consistently across thousands of locations, he said.

But making this service affordable and instantaneous requires 5G and edge computing. “To make it responsive, you really need to look at edge-type technologies to be able to do that,” Fuetsch explained.

In particular, he noted that edge computing servers can run computer vision services geographically close enough to retail stores to provide low-latency connections, but in a centralized manner to avoid installing expensive servers at every retail location. 5G networks will be able to support tens of thousands of IoT connections, such as cameras, a feat beyond the capabilities of Wi-Fi or 4G, he said.

“I think you’re going to see a whole new wave of applications,” Fuetsch predicted, pointing to other edge computing and 5G applications, such as self-driving cars or connected coffee cups that can track consumption or caloric intake. However, these use cases were already widely discussed within the wireless industry before the COVID-19 pandemic.

AT&T has already made some initial forays into edge computing, such as a test last year with Israeli startup Vorpal and technology giant Microsoft to track drones near airports.

But AT&T isn't the only company testing the parameters of 5G and edge computing. Verizon, for example, has been in discussions with companies like Walmart and Corning about how edge computing and 5G can be used.

In addition, operators like AT&T and Verizon play extensive roles in the emerging edge computing space. Other companies investing in edge computing range from cloud computing giants like Amazon and Google to startups like Vapor IO and EdgeMicro.

Edge computing proponents argue that the technology could dramatically change how the internet works by spreading computing power from a handful of giant data centers to thousands of smaller edge sites. But the size of the opportunity still depends on backers finding enough paying customers to make building such infrastructure worthwhile.