5G and edge
computing

White paper

Unleashing the powerof real time

As the world grows more connected, the pace ofbusiness accelerates.
Low latency is becoming increasingly critical for business.
Consumers and organizations alike increasingly expect
as-it-happens answers, responses and experiences thatfeel like they are happening in real time.
This emerging era of practically instantaneous informationdelivery should bring great things, like faster, deeper and moreactionable business intelligence; advanced imaging; smartervehicles; more efficient manufacturing; better tools for anyone
from first responders to artists; and so much more.
It will also leverage new kinds of network architectures.
Ones that extend cloud-compute resources to the edge ofthe mobile network, and even into the premises, and use thepowers of 5G and edge computing to bring the real-timeenterprise to life.

Cloud computing: What it gave us and where it’s going
Public cloud enables businesses to outsource infrastructure
management and storage. It’s also flexible, scalable andcost-effective.
The cloud aids businesses as they expand the capabilities ofprograms that make use of consolidated data storage; mobile
productivity applications; modernized systems such asenterprise resource planning (ERP); and new or reengineered
workloads that require flexibility and elasticity.

On an even larger scale, the cloud supports the developmentof smartphone applications, essentially transforming the way
we use mobile devices. These devices can now connect tothe next-generation 5G network—and they require next-gen
cloud architecture to support new applications.
Still, as more mobile and Internet of Things (IoT) devices comeonline—and as demand for the ultraresponsive application
environments promised by 5G grows—cloud-related latency
potentially could become problematic.

Traditional cloud

Dis

WAN

Cloud compute

Cl

WAN

Heavy processing,higher latency

Access network

Heavy processing
if low latency isneeded, bulkiness,
short battery life

It has also leveled the playing field across business segments
by providing access to technologies previously out of reach forsmall and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), such as workflow
management tools and customer relationship management(CRM) programs.

Private cloud/private MEC architecture

MEC
applications

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VerizonHeahigWhite paper

Latency:Whydoes it matter?
Traditional
cloud

Distributed cloud/edge computing

Round-trip network latency is the time required for a packet ofdata to make the round trip between two points. More simply,
it’s the time between a user or device action—opening an app,clicking on a website or sending a video stream—and the
response to thatWAN
action.
Round-trip latency also includes the processing time required
within the compute environment. What we are improving in thisCloud computeschemais the network latency. This is done by decreasing the
distance between the end user or device and the application at
the edge, while also optimizing routing to ensure the shortest
route between the end user or device and the edge computeenvironment—and,critically, the distance between the device
WAN
making the request and the servers responding to it.
Heavy processing,Access network
Heavy processing
Manycenters are built where land, electricity
water
higherdata
latency
if low andlatencyisare the least expensive. That means when theneeded,
typical bulkiness,urbanmobile-device user clicks on an application orshort
URL,battery
they life
are accessing data that may be stored hundreds or eventhousands of miles away. Similarly, an IoT device could besending data and awaiting a response or instructions from thatsame distant location. Why does that matter? Because latency
is directly linked to the end-user experience or application
performance. And end users don’t like to wait.
That’sespeciallytrue if you’revirtual-reality goggles
Privatecloud/private
MEC wearingarchitecturethat don’t quite sync with your movements, operating a facility
with autonomous manufacturing equipment or working inpublic safety, where receiving near real-time intelligence
could profoundly impact safety, security and mission success.
MEC

applications

That’s why distributed computing architectures like edge
computing and multi-access edge computing (MEC)—alongwith 5G—could be essential for supporting functionality thatfeels like it’s happening in real time.
VerizonWAN Services

Edge computing: Extending infrastructure to where
PrivateMEC
business happens

WAN
MEC
Cloud compute

WAN

Heavy processing,higher latency

Access network—low latency andpreintegrated
network andcomputeLight processing,less bulkiness,long battery life

Edge computing doesn’t replace the cloud; it simply puts
the parts of the applications that need to be closer to theendpoints where they belong. In a public deployment, thatmeans colocating compute and related resources at the edgeof the public wireless network, allowing access by virtually
any device that is indirectly or directly cellular enabled andproviding coverage over large geographic areas. In a private
deployment, a private onsite wireless network is stood up
Private network
and integrated with the compute resources on premises anddesigned for use by that customer only, supporting specificdevices and providing the lowest possible latency. Bothrepresent a combination of the cloud compute and networking
environments in which all data doesn’t have to shuttle back andforth between faraway servers, users or devices.
Access data must travel, decreasing
Application
By reducing the distancethe
network
device set
number of hops it must make across network equipment
andconsolidating information, edge computing can reduce roundtrip latency, speed up processing and preserve bandwidth on
an existing network.

The
edgeCloudis a network architectural model that brings
Publictechnology resources, including compute and related
Computing at the edge also enables localization of data for
infrastructure, closer to theend user or device—or Heavy
to where
SDN/SCI
processing,Accessthat
network—privateLightorganizations
require data localization
forprocessing,security or
the data is generated. It’s aPIP/MPN
decentralized cloud-compute
low latencyonsite,
pre-integrated
with
less
bulkinesscontinuity
andprivacyreasons.
Additionally,itcansupportbusiness
extension where data is processed and stored at the edge,
privatecomputeandlongerbatterylife
by enabling regional offices or sites to stay up and runningwith only those workload tasks that are latency tolerant andstorage forare
lowestlatencywhen
operations
disrupted
attheprimarysite.
other bulk or batch processes transmitted back to thecentralized cloud for backend services support.
Private deployments provide the highest performance andlowest Customer
latency by shorteningsite that last mile even further,colocating network, compute and storage on premises
where the data is generated. This provides even greater
security and data sovereignty over a public deployment
when customer or application needs dictate these levelsof performance and security.

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Edge computing can enable faster, localized processing.
Combine it with 5G and you have the architecture for next-gen
solutions that could empower operations essentially in real time.

5G + edge = mobile edge computing
5G, the fifth generation of cellular mobile communications,is expected to be optimized for services that are latency
sensitive, and should provide massive bandwidth and fast
data transfer rates.
A public MEC can be deployed by placing compute andstorage resources at the edge of the public mobile wirelessnetwork, close to data generating and consuming 4G LTE/5Genabled end devices. A complementary technology for 5G,
public MEC provides both an IT service environment andcloud-computing capabilities at the edge of the public mobile
network, within the radio access network (RAN) and in close
proximity to mobile subscribers, devices, enterprises andother organizations—all with a range of networking andcomputing needs.

5G is expected to be capable of supporting up to a million
devices in a square kilometer2 and spurring a radical increasein the number of connected devices and systems, leading to
the Massive IoT (MIoT). By 2025, some 16.44 billion devices
are forecast to be connected worldwide, and by 2030 that
number is projected to grow to 25.44 billion.3 Everythingfrom manufacturing equipment and smart-city applications
to connected vehicles and wearables will be clamoring forincreased bandwidth.
That’s why the pairing of 5G and MEC is natural. Together,
they could eventually deliver the low latency and gigabits-persecond throughputs that are a precondition for applications
that operate practically in real time, such as:4
Autonomous and assisted-driving vehicles
A single autonomous test vehicle produces about 30 TB per
day, which is 3,000 times the scope of Twitter’s daily data.5
The combination of 5G and MEC might be the key to enablingwidespread adoption of autonomous vehicles by enabling
constant, near-instantaneous uploading, processing anddownloading of massive amounts of data.
Immersive experiences
Augmented, virtual, mixed and extended reality (AR/VR/MR/
XR) technologies require extremely high bandwidth andextremely low latency. Anything less creates experiencesthat are less immersive and more frustrating—or downrightnauseating. With MEC and 5G, these technologies could
enter the business world in a big way, potentially powering
hyperrealistic training environments, advanced medical
imaging, remote repair, immersive meetings, augmented
retail and much more.

Private MEC brings similar compute and storage resources
together but colocates them on the customer premises with a
private, onsite 5G RAN. Combining the RAN, compute, storage
and devices on premises enables support for the most criticaland latency-sensitive applications, while also enhancing
security and providing for data sovereignty.

Wireless media delivery
5G, which has the capacity to enable faster data transfer
to the editing floor, along with advances in wireless camera
technology, are expected to disrupt the media andentertainment industry on multiple levels—enabling new
immersive and interactive experiences. 5G is expected totransform media business models. Intel predicts that withnew network capabilities brought by 5G, annual mobile
media revenues are expected to double in the next 10
years to $420 billion in 2028 ($124 billion in the U.S.).6
Digital marketing

SDN—Software-defined network
SCI—Secure Cloud Interconnect
PIP—Private IP
MPN—Mobile private network

Location-based, as-it-happens marketing should become
more relevant to individual consumers, and analytics could
allow marketers to tweak campaigns on the go. Fasterconnectivity could also enable higher-resolution and AR ads
at the point of purchase (POP); mobile 4K and 8K video
streaming; and relevant, omnichannel customer interactions
through out-of-home (OOH) networks that feel like they’re
happening in real time.

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Smart safety
5G is expected to help public safety organizations rapidly
ingest, analyze and deliver information gathered from 911 callsystems and other data sources to help improve safety andbetter manage planned and unplanned events. It could alsoenable hyperrealistic virtualized training for emergency anddisaster response, and other paradigm-shifting capabilities
to improve first responder safety and awareness.
Massive IoT
Organizations should be able to develop scalable and valuable
IoT capabilities known as MIoT. MIoT deployments could
generate and harness huge amounts of data to drive advanced
analytical and artificial intelligence (AI) programs and provide
mission-critical services that require ultrareliable low-latency
communication (URLLC) services.
Precision manufacturing
Fully connected and automated factories could detect issues
in near real time, potentially reducing error rates, increasing
productivity and paving the way for real-time enterprise (RTE)—the holy grail of manufacturing technology.
Data-driven business intelligence
The ability to ingest and process vast amounts of data
essentially in real time could empower organizations torapidly respond to changing markets and demand.

Processing and capabilities currently reside on the device,
making smartphones and other mobile devices expensive,
complex and tough on batteries. Enabling near real-time
operations on today’s devices would require major
improvements in battery life, as well as mobile chipsetsfor AI/machine learning (ML), computer vision and othercomplex processes.
Computing at the edge opens the door to low-cost, lightweightmobile devices with wide-ranging capabilities and long battery
life. A single device, whether a smartphone, a high-definition
camera, goggles, an IoT sensor or a biomedical monitor, could
leverage a broad range of advanced capabilities located at the
network edge or the on-premises infrastructure.
Additionally, because MEC architecture can support
deployment on RAN sites at the farthest edge of the networkor physically on premises, 5G and MEC can deliver localized
compute services specific to an environment or industry, suchas oil and mining operations, manufacturing plants, hospitals,
universities, public safety and other government facilities,
sports arenas, and business campuses.

Verizon 5G Edge is designed to help enable
the development of large-scale, latencysensitive applications.

Next-level logistics
5G and MEC could amplify three key technologies that willtransform logistics—IoT performance tracking, robotics anddistribution automation—to enable just-in-time production
and improve tracking, delivery and package movement.
Smart communities
5G and MEC-powered solutions could enable communities to:• Capture, analyze and distribute video content in near real time
• Provide hyperaccurate area mapping to aid with delivery
services and emergency response• Remotely control miniature robots that may aid in disasterresponse citizen engagement (public Wi-Fi access andemergency preparedness)• Aggregate data from deployed personnel, body-attachedor unattended sensors, and autonomous agents to assist
in search and rescue or disaster response
5G and MEC could also profoundly impact next-generation
hardware by opening the opportunity to rethink mobile devices.
Smartphones could become more battery efficient, with muchof the processing moving off the device and to the edge.

Verizon 5G Edge: The right edge computing platform
MEC is an essential aspect of Verizon’s network strategy.
It is one of the four key elements—along with massive fiber
resources, small-cell deployment and Verizon’s spectrum
holdings—that help make the Verizon 5G network a powerfultool for transformation.
In fact, Verizon is building MEC right at the edge of its 5G
network to help enable the development of large-scale,latency-sensitive applications. For the most critical andmost latency-sensitive applications, Verizon will be able todeploy a private onsite 5G network and the MEC infrastructurenearly anywhere, even if there is no public wireless coverage.
This flexibility allows Verizon to support nearly any need orapplication an organization might require.
It’s important to note, too, that 5G and MEC could bring
additional benefit beyond low latency. In addition, businesses
and government agencies could greatly benefit from theincreases in speed, bandwidth, throughput, agility, scalability,
privacy and security that these two technologies can deliver.

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Piloting new possibilities: What will real time
do for you?
“Transformative” is a term that’s thrown around frequently inthe technology and business sectors, and it can be difficult todifferentiate the wheat from the chaff—the truly transformativetechnologies from those that sound impressive but fail todeliver actual benefits.
We believe that 5G and MEC are the key to enabling thereal-time era. By extending infrastructure to where businesshappens, these technologies could radically transform theway business gets done. That’s why we’re building the powerof the cloud right at the edge of the Verizon 5G network, oreven your network.
And we invite you—whatever your industry or business size—
to imagine how 5G and MEC could help you do more, offer
more, and work smarter or safer. Dream about all the newcapabilities that gigabits-per-second throughputs and low
latencies could bring to your organization. Visualize what realtime could do for you.
And then, when you’re ready to partner with a company thatknows how to turn big ideas into powerful realities, let us know.
We can help you develop a pilot project that harnesses Verizon
5G Edge to transform your organization.
Be sure to dream big.

Getting on the path to real-time businessAs with any major technology evolution, the better—andsooner—you prepare for 5G and MEC, the smoother thetransition should go. And the quicker you could be able totake advantage of the benefits they’ll bring. Following aresteps you should take now:
• Assess and baseline your environment, so you can develop
an executable transformation plan
• Begin transitioning from traditional operating environments
to programmable, on-demand, software-defined ones
• Deploy application-visibility solutions to gain insights into
the performance of your applications• Identify the business processes and applications that would
most benefit from real-time responsiveness and low latency• Partner with a company that can deliver hybrid connectivity—
the right mix of private WAN, public WAN and wireless access• Create a pilot project to appraise the value of 5G and MEC
to your organization

Learn more:
To learn more about private MEC, contact your
Verizon Business Account Manager.

1 “Connection density of 4G, 5G and 6G mobile broadband technologies (in millions of devices per kilomter),” Statista, 2021. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1183690/
mobile-broadband-connection-density/
2 “Number of Internet of Things (IoT) connected devices worldwide from 2019 to 2030,” Statista, 2020. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1183457/iot-connected-devicesworldwide/
3 These use cases reflect potential uses of MEC, ranging from applications available near-term that use current technologies, to more advanced uses that leverage the expected
full benefits of future 5G- and MEC-critical capabilities. They should not be seen as current or committed solutions—there is no guarantee that Verizon nor anyone else willdevelop and launch these solutions.
4 “Storage Almost Full: Driverless Cars Create Data Crunch,” Wards Auto, January 18, 2018. https://www.wardsauto.com/technology/storage-almost-full-driverless-carscreate-data-crunch
5 “How 5G Will Transform the Business of Media and Entertainment,” Ovem and Intel, October 2018. https://newsroom.intel.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2018/10/
ovum–intel–5g–ebook.pdf
6 https://www.verizon.com/about/our-company/5g/what-network-latency
Network details & coverage maps at vzw.com. © 2021 Verizon. WP4260821

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