Fireside Chat: What Are the Practical Opportunities for 5G and Edge Cloud?

D. Kehoe

Summary Bullets:

• Edge redefines cloud by functionality, not location, as the old model of consumption economics moves from a centralized to a distributed model.
• Telco exchanges, central offices, and street-side cabinets are prime edge/cloud locations and will create a special role for operators.

GlobalData, together with Infosys, HPE, and Spark New Zealand, hosted a global webinar recently to discuss 5G and edge compute.  This session attracted a cross-section of delegates, especially telecom providers across different regions.  The webinar included a presentation, a fireside chat, and direct questions from the audience to the panelists. 

MWCA 2018: It’s All About 5G

Kathryn Weldon – Research Director, Business Network and IT Services – Americas

Summary Bullets:

• Operator announcements at MWCA focused on 5G roll-out plans including cities, timelines, and infrastructure plans.

• As countrywide launches (with devices) for mobile 5G services are not slated until 2019/2020, the race to 5G does not mean much yet for potential business customers.

Will Enterprise 5G Use Cases be Ready for Prime Time?

Kathryn Weldon – Research Director, Business Network and IT Services – Americas

Summary Bullets:

• As some 5G networks will be commercially available by the end of this year, operators must now turn to development of compelling and realistic use cases beyond a faster rendition of 4G networking.
• Operators need to up their game if they are to be recompensed for the substantial investments they are making in 5G. The question is, will autonomous cars, robots, and virtual reality be enough to spark buyer interest?

While 5G services are not yet live, this next generation of wireless technology is already top of mind for service providers, OEMs, and other telecom market ecosystem players. Aside from gearing up to build out the technology, they will be working together to make sure that 5G use cases are compelling – i.e., different enough from 4G to matter to customers. As with any new generation of wireless, the stakes are high, and operators are hoping that they’ll make back their substantial investments in 5G. For most operators, this should come via a “massive” uptake of connectivity, plus revenues from advanced services spanning consumers and business customers.