T-Mobile and Google Cloud are working together to combine 5G and edge compute, all in the hopes of driving customers to embrace next-generation 5G applications and use cases like AR/VR.
T-Mobile will connect its 5G Advanced Network Solutions (ANS) with Google’s Distributed Cloud Edge (GDC Edge) to offer businesses more ways to connect. Retail, manufacturing, logistics and smart cities are potential targets.
Citing Grand View Research, they said the global edge compute market is expected to grow by 37.9%, to $155.9 billion in 2030. Combining edge compute with 5G’s attributes of low latency and high speeds is expected to lead to all kinds of promising use cases.
For example, manufacturing companies could use computer vision technology to improve safety by monitoring equipment and automatically notifying personnel if issues come up. Or municipalities could leverage augmented reality to keep workers at a safe distance from dangerous situations by using machines to remotely perform hazardous tasks.
T-Mobile said it created a proof of concept at its Tech Experience 5G Hub called the “magic mirror” with the support of Google Cloud. Staged for a retail setting, the interactive display leverages cloud-based processing and image rendering at the edge to make retail products “magically” come to life. Users hold a product in front of the mirror to make interactive videos or product details, such as ingredients or instructions, appear on screen in near real time.
“This partnership brings together the powerful combination of 5G and edge computing to unlock the expansion of technologies such as AR and VR from limited applications to large-scale adoption,” said T-Mobile SVP Mishka Dehghan in a statement. “From providing a shopping experience in a virtual reality environment to improving safety through connected sensors or computer vision technologies, T-Mobile’s 5G ANS combined with Google Cloud’s innovative edge compute technology can bring the connected world to businesses across the country."
T-Mobile is also working with Microsoft Azure, Amazon Web Services and Ericsson on advanced 5G solutions.
One might say T-Mobile has been trying to establish an edgy reputation among the business sector as it seeks to gain new business from its 5G network build. During an investor conference last month, T-Mobile CEO Mike Sievert said the company is on pace to reach over 20% market share in the enterprise and government space by 2025.