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More companies are leveraging 5G and the Internet of Things (IoT) to transform their operations and offer new, cutting-edge products and services to their customers. As a result, there’s a growing demand for computing power at the network edge to process the large amounts of data generated by 5G and IoT-enabled devices and applications.
However, traditional centralized data centers can struggle with scaling quickly enough to provide their customers with the data center capacity needed to process all of that data at ultra-fast speeds, particularly in distributed locations. According to Gartner, this trend will continue with a projected 75% of data being created and processed outside a centralized data center or cloud by 2025. To stay competitive and grow, colocation providers need to explore their options for building new and upgraded data centers that can provide the coverage and capacity at the network edge that their customers demand.
This evolving market was the topic of a recent Schneider Electric Innovation Talk Webinar that I hosted, “At the Network’s Edge ― Cloud, 5G and Data Centers in 2022.” In the webinar, we share insights on how data centers can take advantage of new opportunities in the evolving 5G market. We also discussed solutions for colocation providers to upgrade or expand their infrastructure to enable 5G and IoT-driven technologies and provide the edge computing options that their customers demand.
Access the On-Demand Webinar: “At the Network’s Edge – Cloud, 5G and Data Centers in 2022”
5G, data centers, and the network edge
The adoption of 5G and its ultra-high data speed, higher reliability, and massive network capacity are accelerating previously unattainable technologies from autonomous vehicles to virtual reality applications. Along with these new technologies comes an explosion of data that needs to be processed at or near its source to leverage 5G’s faster, more reliable service. Edge computing works hand in hand with 5G by bringing data processing capabilities as close as possible to where it is being used. The result? Data center customers can enjoy the lower latency, faster data exchange, improved resiliency, and increased accessibility they expect from their digital experiences.
In addition to enabling new products and services for customers, the 5G rollout is having impacts across the telecommunications industry. Telecommunications companies that were once the primary players in the 5G network landscape now have to rethink their roles in the face of competition from providers that can offer edge computing capabilities. A few global telcos have already announced high-profile partnerships with hyperscalers with the size and existing infrastructure to launch edge-based services. For data center colocation providers, 5G presents an opportunity to offer customers new 5G and IoT-enabled technology along with edge computing solutions. By building smaller facilities located close to the populations they serve, colocation providers can deliver on end-user demands for cloud computing resources and cached content. But before they expand their infrastructure, providers will need to have a solid plan to scale and expand operations without negatively impacting their core businesses.
Planning for 5G expansion at the edge
Colocation providers who want to deploy 5G at the network edge across their entire enterprise can benefit from working with a trusted partner like Schneider Electric to help find the right infrastructure solutions to meet their business goals. For example, Schneider offers prefabricated modular data center solutions to help colocation companies scale quickly and efficiently while also meeting their sustainability goals. Because of their design, pre-fabricated modular data centers can typically be up and running in 60% less time than traditional data centers. In addition, these prefab modular data centers are manufactured with sustainable construction methods and features that boost reliability, optimize operational energy savings, and leave a smaller environmental footprint.
Data center teams can further optimize resiliency and performance with software and services that provide monitoring and data-driven insights. For example, Schneider Electric’s EcoStruxureTM IT suite uses state-of-the-art remote monitoring, management, and modeling, giving operators system-wide visibility to proactively address issues and maintain uptime. Remote monitoring also leads to optimized efficiencies that make data center operations even more sustainable.
Access the Network Edge Webinar
Colocation providers can play a vital role in the evolving market for 5G technology. Learn more about the network edge and the data center infrastructure needed to support telecommunication functions and multi-access edge computing applications. Don’t miss this OnDemand webinar, which defines the network edge and covers how 5G will impact data centers and the role of data centers in this growing market. Access the webinar now ― “At the Network’s Edge ― Cloud, 5G and Data Centers in 2022.”
