Verizon and AWS: A 5G edge cloud computing dream team

We know our customers want to be able to easily innovate and stay ready for what’s next. And what’s next is edge computing. Which is why we’re proud to announce a partnership with Amazon Web Services (AWS). By integrating AWS cloud services into Verizon’s 5G network, we’re bringing the cloud closer to mobile end users and connected devices, which will unlock a wide range of transformative applications. And we’re calling it Verizon 5G Edge.

Using the deep portfolio of AWS cloud services, developers will be able to innovate and build new applications right at the edge of the Verizon 5G Ultra Wideband network—which provides the shortest possible high-volume connection between users, devices and applications—and then deliver those applications from the 5G network edge with ultralow latency. To do this, AWS and Verizon will leverage AWS Wavelength, a new type of AWS infrastructure deployment that runs AWS compute and storage services at the edge of Verizon’s 5G network.

This partnership is a real win-win for customers. AWS customers will now have access to the advanced technology, density and massive capacity of Verizon’s 5G Ultra Wideband network. And having access to AWS’ broad array of compute, storage, analytics and machine-learning services will enable Verizon customers to use familiar application programming interfaces (APIs), tools and functionality to develop innovative use cases—from smart manufacturing to deep machine learning to fully immersive virtual and augmented reality and more. We’re confident that by combining mobile edge computing (MEC), 5G and cloud services, Verizon 5G Edge is changing the paradigm and will spark the development of innovative and transformative next-generation business technologies.

In a word: absolutely. MEC extends infrastructure to where business happens, bringing compute and related infrastructure closer to the end user. Instead of a cloud application having to make a long-distance connection to a data center that could be hundreds—or even thousands—of miles away, edge computing eliminates that time-consuming travel.

For instance, using traditional network infrastructure, when a mobile device connects to an application, it first has to connect to the mobile network edge. From there, it gets routed through the internet to where the application is hosted. The multiple hops required for this mobile device to reach the application can require round-trip times of 100 ms or more. Edge computing changes all that. Reducing the distance and the number of hops required radically lowers latency—we’re talking single-digit potential—which means localized data can be acted on right where it is generated, giving developers the ability to improve performance and security, and create more contextually aware applications. And let’s not forget about the Internet of Things (IoT), which we think will experience massive and rapid growth when applications can be developed and deployed at the edge.

5G is a major factor in getting the most out of edge computing. 5G enables a wide range of new capabilities and diverse use cases thanks to connections roughly 20 times faster than typical 4G networks. 5G also dramatically increases the number of devices that can be supported within the same geographic areas—around 1 million per square kilometer compared to the estimated 4,000 devices per square kilometer 4G can support—and greatly reduces network latency to mobile devices.

As the world’s first 5G network, Verizon 5G Ultra Wideband will bring powerful new capabilities, like embedded security protocols that help improve user (and development) environments are secure, all while delivering quality user experiences based on user type or policy service levels. When fully deployed, it will provide a secure option with world-class quality-of-service controls. The Verizon 5G Ultra Wideband network—which powers 5G Edge—is on its way to being fully virtualized from core to edge over a dense footprint of access points, with the infrastructure to deliver super-low latency and high performance. Having virtualized the core of the network, Verizon is also taking significant steps forward in virtualizing the radio access network (RAN) edge and moving computing functionality to the edge of the network. This is what makes edge on demand possible.

In summary, Verizon 5G Edge makes innovation possible in ways never before considered. And with the partnership with AWS, instead of having to consider your mobile and cloud strategies separately, you can now consolidate approaches by combining Verizon’s 5G Edge platform and direct access to AWS services. Together, AWS and Verizon are enabling developers to take full advantage of the advancements of 5G for use cases that require ultralow latency—like real-time analytics—to enable near-instant decision-making, help improve autonomous driving and deliver immediate, immersive game streaming, automated robotic processes in manufacturing facilities and real-time product tracking.

Verizon’s 5G Ultra Wideband network will usher in the Fourth Industrial Revolution, much in the same way that AWS revolutionized the cloud. With Verizon 5G Edge, you have the power of the cloud built right into America’s best network, providing the right platform for innovations today and tomorrow.