Google Cloud and Ericsson Set to Combine 5G and Edge Cloud Solutions to Further Digital Transformation

Swedish multinational telecommunications and networking company, Ericsson, and Google Cloud announced their entry into a partnership focusing on the joint development of fifth-generation (5G) and edge cloud solutions. 

 

Google Cloud pairs with Ericsson’s 5G. Image used courtesy of Google Cloud 

 

Google offers the Google Cloud Platform (GCP) as a suite of cloud computing services. Both Ericsson and Google Cloud wish to help communications service providers (CSPs) digitally transform and tackle real-world business challenges. 

 

Edge Computing and 5G

Edge computing focuses on providing computing and storage resources at the location from which data is generated. Cloud edge sites are as close as possible to end-users. This can minimize long-distance communication between the client and server and thereby reduce latency and bandwidth usage. 

5G wireless communications can provide faster mobile network speeds and with edge computing and reduce long round-trip times to the cloud. For example, combining 5G and edge computing could give rise to self-driving cars that can brake immediately and carry out other time-critical actions much faster. 

Combining 5G and edge computing can also provide more efficient communications for mission-critical operations within industrial facilities. Automated robotic machinery that works on production lines, carries and transports cargo, or pick-and-place machinery could all benefit from faster communication speeds and real-time data feedback for analysis and machine optimization. 

 

The Ericsson-Google Cloud Partnership

The partnership will bring together Google Cloud’s computing platform and Ericsson’s comprehensive 5G portfolio. The work that is produced from this partnership hopes to provide improved efficiencies and lower latency to enterprises in the automotive, transportation, manufacturing, and other sectors.

 

The 5G network functions versus edge applications. Image used courtesy of Google Cloud

 

In a recent press release, the CEO of Google Cloud, Thomas Kurian, commented on how 5G and cloud can expand the industrial sector similar to artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML).  

In the same press release, President and Head of Ericsson North America, Niklas Heuveldop, mentioned that when 5G is combined with edge cloud, it could accelerate the digital transformation of any sector or industry. 

Under the partnership, both Ericsson and Google Cloud will pilot enterprise applications at the edge on a live network with TIM. The project will focus on automating the functions of TIM’s 5G network and cloud-based applications. Ericsson’s Silicon Valley D-15 Labs serve as a center for innovation and will be used for testing and developing Google and Ericsson’s ideas on a live, multi-layers 5G platform.

Some of Ericsson’s 5G solutions include a 5G radio access network (RAN). This uses 5G radio frequencies to provide wireless connectivity. With 5G RAN, CSPs could generate new revenue streams with autonomous driving, fixed wireless access, augmented and virtual reality (AR and VR), and cloud gaming. 

With digital transformation at its peak, the industrial sector is looking for new and innovative ways to stay connected through cloud and edge computing. Is 5G the answer to a more connected industrial network?