More than 85% of organizations will embrace a cloud-first policy by 2025, according to the consensus of analysts. With the cloud as the centerpiece of digital workloads, the world becomes ever more data-driven, with large volumes of raw data generated from every industry vertical and digital interaction.
The storage, movement and processing of this data must be facilitated efficiently to maximize speed and reduce both latency and cost. This is where edge computing becomes critical: to manage and extract value.
With edge, workloads are placed as close as possible to the data source, thus addressing the problems of backhauling and avoiding delays and service disruptions. Thanks to the edge, the backhauling of large amounts of raw data processed in the main data center can be slashed.
Beyond processing workloads, edge computing can be used to host various applications, leveraging the benefits of software-defined networks (SDN) and network function virtualization infrastructure (NFVi). Edge computing technology is gaining more traction in the Middle East as organizations look to optimize their operations and improve the customer experience while governments commit to building and transforming smart cities.
Satellite: A Fundamental Edge Device
As satellite and cloud service providers strengthen their collaboration, edge solutions are emerging as a powerful enabler for satellite networks — from the terminal on the ground to the orbit.
Exploring potential use cases that arise from combining satellite connectivity with cloud and edge computing resources, in March 2023, Amazon Web Services (AWS) signed an agreement with LEO satellite internet provider OneWeb.
By developing a satellite constellation management solution-as-a-service, it will bring business continuity, the virtualization of mission operations and space data analytics, as well as user terminal and edge integration.
In November 2022, AWS’s first-of-its-kind space experiment successfully ran a suite of AWS compute and machine learning (ML) software on a low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellite for a faster, more efficient method to collect and analyze valuable data.
In this context, SES offered that a cloud-optimized and edge-aware satellite connectivity partner can provide a level of agility anywhere with a network that is flexible enough to allocate bandwidth and QoS capabilities based on workload demand. This can ensure expansive coverage in any location.
The value of applying computation power at the network edge can unlock the potential of multi-orbit constellations, proliferated LEO and high-throughput satellites.
In many ways, a satellite is a fundamental edge device, as it works remotely (often disconnected from a data center) and generates loads of data. Transforming it to function as an edge device will reduce latency, increase security and lower transport costs.
With less data processing time, space edge-hosted payloads avoid multiple round trips to an Earth station or terrestrial-based cloud. In the ground segment, satellite terminal stations work alongside the satellite network edge.
Digital ground service providers are similarly extending virtual cloud environments so that satcom services can function as nodes in a broader communications network. As a result, workflows and functions within a satellite-operating environment are now being virtualized and migrated into edge cloud environments.
The goal of cloud-native functions is to break up the boundaries between verticals, such as between the satellite and telecom industries. Satellites can connect with other satellites nearby to form a distributed processing platform, bringing in more flexibility on the edge.
On the R&D scene, the research teams of Professor Jeongho Kwak and Professor Jihwan Choi have developed new edge-computing offloading and network-slicing techniques that can be used in next-generation LEO satellite network systems.
An LEO satellite network can provide stable internet services using satellites that orbit 300–1500 km from Earth, making it ideal for building communication networks in locations with fewer base stations and low population density.
The university-led researchers proposed a different approach to applying edge computing to LEO satellites: a network slicing technique that harnesses the distribution and movement characteristics of LEO satellites and the characteristics of wireless environments in several virtualized services.
Multinational companies and startups around the world are positioning themselves to meet the inevitable demand for enhanced space-based edge processing, beginning onboard satellites and extending to data centers in Earth and lunar orbit.
The demand for satellite edge data processing is anticipated to climb as more terrestrial applications constantly require additional memory and processing speed.
Private 5G and Edge: A New Use Case Enabler
Creating a more seamless, secure and interconnected society is made possible by combining private 5G and edge computing. It is indeed true that the demand for private 5G and edge-related services is expected to skyrocket in the coming years.
As 5G, digital and edge computing converge, these technologies will improve customer experiences by enabling next-gen applications to be more responsive and efficient. This is in line with more compelling and evolving use cases across verticals like manufacturing, healthcare, utilities and automotive.
Deploying reliable, secure and scalable private 5G networks and merging them with edge computing capabilities can better support the evolving needs of customers and end users today, generate incremental revenue, eliminate redundancies and produce operational cost savings for enterprises over time.
Enterprises will need to put a DevOps operating model in place to ensure success and go-to-market velocity and to maximize their chances of achieving success and the necessary ROI in this scenario.
Edge computing can be made more powerful and versatile with private 5G. Combining the high speed and low latency of 5G with the processing power of edge computing allows businesses to analyze situations in real time while having control over data sovereignty, ownership and location. Moreover, private 5G can protect data by ensuring that all traffic runs within a dedicated local on-premise network.
Vodafone delivers new possibilities for next-generation businesses through Mobile Private Networks (MPNs) and multi-access edge computing (MEC). Unlocking even more potential from the network edge, the combined solution delivers secure connectivity and powerful computing in real time.
In January 2023, etisalat by e&, in collaboration with Huawei, successfully deployed and tested its 5G Portable Private Network MEC functionality.
This successful showcase is part of the 5G SA and MEC commercialization program and enables etisalat by e& to offer a 5G-based replacement for traditional VPN, enhancing the remote work experience for UAE enterprises. By being accessible and convenient, a 5G Portable Private Network solution accelerates data delivery and boosts security for services. This is done via seamless switching between public and private networks.
Prior to that, in 2022, etisalat by e& and Huawei also successfully tested a 5G Edge Computing platform aimed at serving customers’ digital-first lifestyles, which demand the development of quicker and more intelligent cloud technologies as well as swift automation.
Nokia has also signed a deal with etisalat by e& to deploy 5G private networks for enterprises in Abu Dhabi. The pair will offer a variety of solutions, including MEC, Modular Private Wireless (MPW) and Nokia Digital Automation Cloud (DAC), to meet the diverse needs of various enterprises.
Additionally, through its collaboration with du, Digital DEWA’s InfraX is the first in the region to offer the utility industry private 5G slicing driven via edge computing. Under this initiative, du will build DEWA’s new mobile core edge infrastructure through the NFVi solution, which provides separation and independent scaling of control and user planes.
