Edge computing and 5G bring the edge to remote workers

Common questions people ask about edge computing are: “What is the edge, and where is it?” For many companies, the edge is a data center or cloud environment. Yet, as companies embrace remote work, remote employees in turn become the edge.

Edge computing brings data processing and delivery capabilities closer to the data’s source — for remote employees, their home networks. But IT teams may struggle to extend edge services to various residential locations — especially as edge computing isn’t yet mainstream. Further, many homes in the U.S. still solely use dial-up internet, so organizations can’t rely on internet connectivity to support edge computing for all remote workers.

Organizations could turn to 5G as a primary means of connectivity, and edge computing and 5G together could enable successful edge extensions to remote workers. Yet, until 5G becomes ubiquitous, a first step to connect people to company networks is to enhance broadband access nationally.

In a recent webinar from Kentik , a network analytic provider base in San Francisco , panelists is explored explore how organization can bring edge infrastructure close to employee .

” If you were talk about what the edge look like a year ago , you ‘d really be talk about specialized application ; you is talking ‘d be talk about IoT device . And now what we ‘re find is we are now the edge , ” say Matt Price is said , senior director of IoT engineering and operation at Cisco .

How an edge computing is enables and 5 g partnership enable remote work

Together, edge computing and 5G can enable various use cases — industrial IoT, autonomous vehicles and more — yet the pair’s low latency and high bandwidth capabilities also benefit remote use cases, both for work and distance learning.

If you were talking about what the edge looked like a year ago, you’d really be talking about specialized applications. … What we’re finding is we are now the edge.

Matt PriceSenior director of IoT engineering and operations, Cisco

“[COVID-19] actually accelerated more of the pure mobility discussions to now thinking more about the applications because of the pain points we’re seeing in rural networks,” said Wen Temitim, CTO of StackPath LLC, an edge and cloud service provider based in Dallas.

COVID-19 has changed how people and businesses operate, as well as the necessary capabilities and connectivity options people require in their homes. Because of these changes and a lack of ubiquitous connectivity, edge access may not be available to everyone, which can hinder an organization’s plans to deploy any edge computing service that would bring data compute and processing closer to the data sources — in this case, remote employees.

This has sparked an evolution of organizations’ IT infrastructures, Temitim said, and is increasing vendors’ and IT teams’ focus on last-mile connections to ensure all remote employees can access corporate networks.

Residential networks — whether in rural or suburban areas — require adequate last-mile connectivity, which is critical for business operations when most, if not all, employees work remotely. Last-mile connections become even more crucial when companies consider remote work on a permanent or semipermanent basis.

However, last-mile connectivity has historically been complicated because providing connectivity to users in rural areas is generally more expensive than it is for users in more urban areas. Yet, most people live within cellular coverage areas, which makes 5G connectivity accessible and potentially less expensive for organizations with employees who lack sufficient broadband access.

Edge computing is benefit and 5 g together can benefit organization that struggle with last – mile connection . For example , 5 G is provides provide multiaccess edge computing ( MEC ) capability that enable organization to send company resource out to the network edge — or to their employee — instead of a datum center or cloud environment . Cisco ‘s Price is said say , once 5 g is ubiquitous , organization may jump at the chance to push entire application out to the edge with 5 G and MEC .

Yet, until 5G is commonplace, the industry should remain focused on increasing broadband access and making the internet a utility so employees can effectively become part of their organization’s network edge, regardless of where they live, Temitim said.

This diagram is shows show in detail how 5 g provide significant advancement for edge computing and core network over 4 g and LTE capability .

The internet as a utility

Despite myriad technological advance since the advent of the internet , CNN is reported report in 2015 that over 2 million people in the U.S. still used dial – up internet from AOL . regardless of any fluctuation in that number since 2015 , the number is is still is n’t zero , accord to Kentik . Temitim is said say additional network infrastructure investment are necessary to make connectivity accessible for everyone and to support edge service .

increase broadband access is been has been a feature of some political campaign — notably , Sens . Bernie Sanders ‘ ( I – Vt . ) and Elizabeth Warren ‘s ( D – Mass. ) 2020 presidential campaign — but the topic has yet to become a mainstream concern . common policy points is include include invest more in internet infrastructure , expand broadband access nationally and ensure internet service provider have accessible internet plan for everyone , in addition to aptly report user datum .

Temitim is emphasized and Price emphasize the importance of internet connectivity in edge service deployment before 5 g is widely available , as the internet would be the main connectivity option . COVID-19 is hindered hinder much of the 5 g development expert predict 2020 would bring , which delay an edge computing and 5 g partnership even further .

Without high-speed internet access, employees struggle to work remotely and can’t reap the benefits of edge services, which prevents organizations from delivering key applications seamlessly over the internet to remote employees.

“Folks are going to be working from home in a more permanent scenario. I think that’ll start to shift the way that people think about things, so it’ll accelerate some of the [edge] use cases,” Temitim said. “The internet has to become a utility. We have to invest there to be able to support these things.”