Imagine you are stuck in the aftermath of a hurricane. You need to call for help, but networks are down. Drones suddenly appear over the horizon. Equipped with 5G technology, they form an aerial network that allows you to send texts and look up evacuation information.
Developed by AT&T, these flying “cells on wings,” or COWs, are expected to expand access to larger numbers of people stranded in disaster zones. Using fiber optic tethers, flying COWS connect to trucks on the ground that serve as communication and power bases, according to CNET. So far, they have been tested in rural Missouri in regions that lack network access.
As climate change spurs more severe weather events, including wildfires, hurricanes, and floods, the flying COWs are increasingly necessary.
“Emergency preparedness and disaster recovery for the carriers has become critically important,” Bob O’Donnell , Technalysis Research analyst, told CNET. “These COWs literally become a lifeline.”
South Korea Gets First-Ever Private 5G Network
As we reported previously, 5G networks are slowly phasing out older ones. Unlike its 4G and 3G predecessors, 5G can carry massive amounts of data at lightning-fast speeds. Combined with cloud computing and artificial intelligence, 5G will serve as a backbone for the Internet of Things, autonomous machines and vehicles, and other emerging technologies.
While rollouts are fraught with delays due to the pandemic, 5G is expected to reach millions of people in the U.S. this year given that telecommunications companies bought millions of dollars worth of highly-coveted mid-band spectrum from the Federal Communications Commission.
As 5G slowly unfurls across the world, some organizations have decided to build their own private 5G networks. For example, a joint effort between Samsung Electronics and NAVER Cloud will create a 5G private network at NAVER’s headquarters in South Korea this June, which will be used to power mobile robots that will provide services to employees. The project will be the country’s first private 5G network. The robots will operate on NAVER’s cloud platform with 5G technology provided by Samsung. Rather than relying on chips embedded in each individual robot, the robots will process information using the cloud, which will act as a “brain” they all share.
“Samsung’s private 5G network plays the role of a neural network that connects the robots and the cloud, enabling the cloud to control and support tens of thousands of robots in real-time and allowing them to be smarter together,” states Samsung in a news release. “In addition, advanced technologies such as digital twin, 3D/HD mapping and AI are applied to help robots learn to find their way inside the building by creating a virtual space that replicates the real world.”
To start, 40 robots will deliver packages, coffee, and lunch to employees in the building. While the robots are currently limited to three floors, the project is expected to expand to the building’s full 36 floors.
Private 5G networks like these represent a new frontier in telecommunications. As 5G rollouts continue to expand, 5G will eventually dominate networks worldwide.
Are You Ready to Meet Consumer Demand for Higher Communication Speeds?
The next generation of wireless network technology is here, and it’s vital to understand how to deliver on the 5G vision while meeting consumer demand for higher communication speeds.
Interested in training your team with 5G Networks, a three-course program from IEEE and Nokia? Connect with an IEEE Content Specialist today.
For individual access, visit the IEEE Learning Network (ILN)!
Resources
Press release. (2 June 2022). Samsung Electronics Collaborates With NAVER Cloud To Launch Korea’s First Private 5G Network. Samsung Newsroom.
Shankland, Stephen. (2 June 2022). These Drones Could Bring You 5G Networking After a Hurricane. CNET.
While it may be too early to know exactly how 5G will benefit edge computing, the technology will have some sort of impact on consumers and businesses. The growth of edge computing and 5G are mutually dependent. In order for 5G to provide accelerated network speeds, it requires on low-latency and high interconnection that can be delivered through edge computing.
The evolution of 5G networks will affect more than smartphone speeds. While the ability to stream and download files on your mobile device faster will be convenient, it is only a fraction of the potential 5G has in advancing technology. By providing the ability to process large quantities of small data points in a short period of time, 5G is likely to significantly impact sectors such as transport, autonomous vehicles, smart cities, and the Internet of Things (IoT). In these fields, applications that currently use large sets of data and information are likely to benefit from the ability to send the desired information in almost real-time.
Benefits to Utilizing Edge Computing with 5G
By 2025, up to 20% of data might be processed in real-time. The combination of 5G and edge computing will bring consumers and organizations improved data processing, local caching and sharing of computing power, energy efficiency at both network and device level, resilience and security, and optimal work allocation.
- Edge computing allows 5G networks to function at the needed reduced network latency for real-time operations. Together, they can enhance augmented and virtual reality for events, video and speech analytics, video security monitoring, and more.
- 5G combines edge computing into wireless networks with open source initiatives and standards to distribute data across the network, from radio access and transport to new core-enabling capabilities such as network slicing.
- Edge computing applies artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning technologies to enhance data management across networks.
5G and Edge Security
Edge computing will play a critical role in changing the security of the network. The faster connections and increased interconnection that come with 5G also mean improved connections for cyber criminals.
John Maddison, an executive at Fortinet, Inc., mentions that “The security then needs to be deployed in a different way. And whether it’s deployed in the car itself, in the application, the IoT devices—it’ll be security deployed in the edge compute.”
Getting Ready for Edge Computing and 5G
Prepare your organization for the advancement of edge computing integration. Designed to train your entire team to support edge computing, IEEE Introduction to Edge Computing is an online five-course program. The on-demand courses included in this program are:
- Overview of Edge Computing
- Practical Applications of Edge Computing
- Research Challenges in Edge Computing
- Designing Security Solutions for Edge, Cloud, and IoT
- Tools and Software for Edge Computing Applications
To learn more about getting access to these courses for your organization, connect with an IEEE Content Specialist today.
Interested in the course for yourself? Visit the IEEE Learning Network (ILN) to learn more.
Resources
(9 October 2019). 5G Americas: Edge Computing Not a One-Size-Fits-All for 5G. Global Newswire.
(15 October 2019). Edge, 5G And Data Centres: The Beginning Of The End Or The End Of The Beginning?. Data Economy.
Matthews, Kayla. (17 October 2019). How edge computing will benefit from 5G technology. Information Age.
Tripathi, Sunay. (23 October 2019). 5G And Enterprise Edge: Developments Toward A Device-Centric View Of The Cloud. Forbes.
Aten, Jason. (25 October 2019). Everyone Wants a 5G iPhone, but Here Are 5 Industries That Will Actually Be Revolutionized When Ultra-Fast Wireless Finally Arrives. Inc.