DALLAS, Nov. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- AT&T* is
building an edge computing test zone in Palo Alto, California, where developers and
other companies will be able to test connected applications such as
self-driving cars, augmented reality and virtual reality (AR/VR),
and drones.
The test zone will go live in early 2018. At launch, the zone
will use a 4G LTE connection. We expect to upgrade it to 5G once
the final standards and equipment are ready, perhaps as early as
the end of 2018.
"Edge computing is the next step in the evolution of the
network," said Melissa Arnoldi,
president, AT&T Technology and Operations. "As connectivity
becomes ubiquitous and fast, it also needs to become smart. Edge
computing puts a supercomputer in your pocket, on your wrist, in
your car, and right in front of your eyes."
Edge computing solves the challenge of how to offer
high-performance, power-hungry applications on mobile devices.
Today, an AR app on a smartphone, for example, can either offer
high-end images or long battery life. Cranking up the visual detail
burns through the battery. Reducing power consumption generally
means graphics that aren't as sharp.
Moving the processing to the cloud is the next logical step. But
in today's networks, the physical distance between you and the data
center where the images are calculated and rendered creates latency
as those requests and responses travels hundreds or thousands of
miles. You can often notice a delay between when you turn your head
or press a button and when the image on your headset responds.
So we have to move the data processing closer to you. With edge
computing, we'll install graphics processors and other computers in
cell towers, small cells and other parts of our network that are
never more than a few miles from our customers. This is what's
known as the edge of the network. In addition, low latency is being
built into 5G from the get go. The result: you will be able to run
high-end applications in the cloud, and it will feel like it's all
happening right on your device.
Our AT&T Foundry innovation centers in Silicon Valley and
Atlanta are leading the creation
of the Palo Alto test zone.
The goal of this edge test zone will be to invite developers and
other third parties to rapidly test and innovate with us. While we
don't have specific projects up and running yet, we could see
projects related to AR/VR, drones, and autonomous cars. We'll help
them get connected to our network and turn their concepts into
prototypes. We'll also explore potential business models for these
new services. As with all AT&T Foundry projects, success is
never guaranteed. But our rapid innovation model means we can move
on quickly when an approach isn't panning out and apply lessons
learned to future projects.
"Our goal in this experiment is to find the right architecture,
the right services and the right business value in this ecosystem,"
said Igal Elbaz, head of the
AT&T Foundry. "It's all about moving quickly and collaborating
closely with third-party innovators and developers."
The Palo Alto edge computing
test zone will be as much a learning experience for us as it will
be for the developers and companies who come in. The initial test
area will cover several miles and could expand over time. Being in
the heart of Silicon Valley means we can work directly with both
startups and big companies in one of the world's most innovative
communities.
In addition to the AT&T Foundry, AT&T Labs is leading a
company-wide effort to architect and develop a large-scale,
low-cost, and zero-touch edge computing platform that leverages
open source edge stack. Today, we published a whitepaper on
att.com/innovation outlining some of the technical elements behind
edge computing and we encourage innovators interested in this
technology to check it out.
*About AT&T
AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) helps millions
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mobile and high speed internet services. We offer the nation's best
data network** and the best global coverage of any U.S. wireless
provider. We're one of the world's largest providers of pay TV. We
have TV customers in the U.S. and 11 Latin American countries.
Nearly 3.5 million companies, from small to large businesses around
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solutions.
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**Claim based on the Nielsen Certified Data Network Score. Score
includes data reported by wireless consumers in the Nielsen Mobile
Insights survey, network measurements from Nielsen Mobile
Performance and Nielsen Drive Test Benchmarks for Q1 + Q2 2017
across 121 markets.
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SOURCE AT&T Inc.