5G poised to disrupt the network edge

Enterprise Mobility

Article | June 15, 2023

At about 9.30pm on Easter Monday, in the small Dutch town of Almere near Amsterdam, the fire brigade was called to put out a blaze at a large telecoms mast—the second fire of its kind that night in the area. Though neither of the Almere towers were equipped with any of the latest 5G telecoms equipment—in fact one was designed only for use by the emergency services—authorities soon concluded that the fires were perpetrated by vandals acting in the name of an unusual theory: that 5G networks have contributed to the coronavirus pandemic.

Unified Communications, Network Security

Article | July 10, 2023

Telecommunications conglomerate Verizon has partnered with 3D development platform Unity to create entertainment applications and enterprise toolkits that can render 3D environments almost instantaneously, without the need for expensive hardware. In a press release, Verizon said products from this collaboration will address the demand for instantaneous content in industries such as gaming, retail, and sports, where emphasis is placed on real-time digital immersion. “We are entering an era of technology-led disruption where 5G and MEC will not only transform the full enterprise lifecycle, it will change the way consumers experience gaming and entertainment,” said Verizon Chief Executive Officer Tami Erwin. These products will utilise 5G and Mobile Edge Computing (MEC) technology, taking the best of both worlds to enhance the digital experience for consumers. The concept of edge computing has actually been around for roughly three decades, but it wasn't until recently that we've been able to apply it to Internet of Things (IoT) devices. Edge architecture reduces latency by moving computer services closer to the source — the "edges" — of the data. This not only decongests the centralised cloud of information, but also decreases the distance the data needs to cover to reach user terminals. Meanwhile, 5G is the highly anticipated next generation broadband network that promises to deliver high speeds with just millisecond latencies. Despite the pandemic, its rollout hasn’t slowed down at all, with countries like China, South Korea, and the US getting a first taste of the technology. The promise of lightning-fast connections, however, comes at a steep cost: 5G stations consume plenty of energy to work. Though much of 5G's advantages come from its streamlined digital routing capabilities, it's also underpinned by a powerful network of hardware components — more precisely, printed circuit boards (PCBs). To answer the demand for more energy, engineers use ties to meet PCB requirements for solving the challenges that come with powering a standard board. These include considerations like signal paths and planar delays, among others. Placing the net ties at the right junctions distributes energy more evenly, thus providing efficient power delivery to 5G networks. Despite all the touted capabilities of 5G, experts have flagged cybersecurity as one major concern. As a new innovation, 5G is still fairly unregulated, leaving loopholes and security gaps that cyber criminals can exploit. For instance, the expansion of bandwidth coverage actually opens up vulnerabilities and additional avenues for cyber attacks. Furthermore, the hyper connected nature of IoT devices makes it easier for hackers to gain access to different networks, both private and public; and unwitting users can potentially expose their contacts to virtual attackers. Because of these threats, experts urge telecom companies to lay down a solid bedrock for 5G security before finalising the pivot towards it. For now, it remains to be seen how legislators and regulators will implement standards to guide the public in its use of 5G. Amid this concern, Verizon and Unity are hopeful that their collaboration — and the marriage of 5G and MEC technology — will be a game changer in the gaming, retail, and entertainment industries. “We know the world is demanding high-speed, AAA content, whether it’s an educational augmented reality application or a robot running a simulation of a digital twin,” Unity Vice President for Solutions Ryan Peterson said. “5G is the key piece for us to facilitate these real-time 3D experiences broadly and to better meet the demands of the real-time economy.”

5G

Article | May 18, 2023

The increasing use of mobile applications and digital payment services has not only paved the way for new banking models, but also highlighted the importance of user experience in digital banking. Banking applications are now developed completely on cloud, support multiple platforms, and use AI/ML extensively. Security, a critical aspect of digital banking, has transformed with innovative capabilities like self-service identity verification, passwordless access, risk-based multi-factor authentication (MFA), behavioral analytics, and encryption capabilities. The underlying reason for developing the above-mentioned capabilities is to provide consumers with a secure banking experience, where they can access their financial data without fear and conduct transactions with ease. For the bank employee, it is all about working with the latest digital services and securely accessing them from anywhere. It is important to understand that user experience, be it consumer or workforce, is all about providing convenience and establishing trust. Only then can a financial institution remain ahead of the competition.

Article | August 17, 2021

Despite a global pandemic and the associated economic challenges, the world has moved to 5G four times faster than it did with 4G LTE, according to 5G Americas. In the midst of this rollout, how can industries ensure that the benefits of 5G investment warrant the long-term investment costs? Or to put it another way, how can industries leverage 5G technology to build cost-efficient connected industry on a global scale? The answer is the intelligent edge. The intelligent edge is the analysis of data and development of solutions at the site where the data is generated. By doing this, the intelligent edge reduces latency, costs and security risks, thus making the associated business more efficient. As 5G puts compute closer to the user (whether that be a human or a device) it enables a new paradigm of capabilities with AI, machine learning and a host of related use cases.