CLOUD & 5G
The telecommunications industry is on the cusp of a seismic shift , driven by the rise of edge computing and generative AI ( Gen AI ) technologies . This transformation – according to research by STL Partners – could be as transformative as the advent of cloud computing , or an ‘ AWS moment ’: presenting both opportunities and challenges for network service providers ( NSPs ) and telco operators .
As Andres Vasquez , Global Segment Director at Schneider Electric , explains , today ’ s telcos are redefining themselves as distributed compute businesses : embracing edge computing , AI and nextgeneration connectivity like 5G and beyond . Traditionally , telcos have relied on proprietary hardware and software systems . However , with the adoption of 5G , their data centres are transitioning to standard IT servers running softwaredefined networking ( SDN ) and Network Functions Virtualization ( NFV ) in multicloud environments .
“ When telco architectures resemble cloud service providers , it introduces the opportunity of hosting cloud services and telco controls in the same network edge data centre ,” Andres says .
This convergence of telco and cloud infrastructures paves the way for telcos to offer innovative edge computing services , bringing computational power and intelligence closer to end-users and devices . Here , the best practice for NSPs and telcos is not to go it alone , but rather to partner at the edge with those who can provide real value , with a learn-andscale approach . mobile-magazine . com 79