The real power of distributed computing is where significant processing takes place not in centralized servers in the cloud, but at the “edge” of the network (where most of the data we rely on is generated). This will bring huge benefits, not only in computing but also in the lives of more and more people who will be connected to the Internet. With the 5G edge computing gateway, Internet of Things problems will be solved to a great extent.
Edge computing will be the key to IoT success
IoT devices — from smartphones and smartwatches to tiny computers embedded in devices and infrastructure — generate vast amounts of data. This data is processed in the cloud and the results are sent back to the device to instruct it on how to respond. However, latency (the time it takes for data to travel between two points on the Internet) makes this setup unreliable for time-critical applications such as those used by medical devices that require rapid the processing of sensor data. In addition, relying on the cloud also limits the possibility of deploying IoT devices to places where there is little or no network connectivity.
In the future, as edge computing reduces the reliance on connectivity, it will enable more people to use AI solutions. This will have huge implications for many parts of the world, such as sub-Saharan Africa and parts of Asia and South America, where many people face severe connectivity problems. For example, edge computing-based 5G edge computing gateways have been used to help users in a variety of harsh environments, such as smart agriculture applications.
Farmers have immediate access to this information in the field. Then, when the phone is near an internet node, the app feeds anonymized data into the cloud to further train the centralized algorithm. Combined with a new generation of low-orbit satellites that will reduce cloud latency, 5G edge computing gateways like this will revolutionize the online lives of people in these regions.
It is believed that in the near future, we will see more breakthroughs brought by edge computing-based 5G edge computing gateways in the medical, transportation, industrial, agricultural, and household fields. The ability of edge computing to process data in an intelligent manner as close as possible to the source of the data will create a robust Internet of Things. This will bring real benefits to the masses around the world.
