Advanced 5G Edge use cases

5G is rapidly becoming the most critical networking technology to power innovation for enterprises today,¹ delivering 10 times the speed of 4G. Meanwhile, multi-access edge computing (MEC) unlocks 5G’s potential for near-zero latency, equipping enterprises with real-time responsiveness and high scalability. Together, 5G-powered edge is set to unleash new business possibilities in today’s fast-evolving digital landscape.

But how can enterprises begin testing out boundary-pushing use cases for 5G edge in a cost-effective way? In a groundbreaking collaboration, Singtel and Intel have teamed up to establish a 5G Multi-access Edge Compute (MEC) incubator. This incubator aims to spur enterprises across industries to develop cutting-edge solutions by tapping emerging technologies like AI and AR/VR.

“The Singtel-Intel collaboration aims to make digital transformation simpler, faster, and lower-cost for businesses,” says Mr. Bill Chiang, Chief Executive Officer, Group Enterprise and Regional Data Centre Business, Singtel. “We hope enterprises will leverage our incubator to co-create 5G and edge applications to solve challenging business problems.”

Trialing next-gen consumer experiences

The MEC incubator is powered by Singtel’s 5G edge in the form of Paragon: the industry’s first all-in-one platform for multi-cloud orchestration, edge computing, and 5G. Alongside this, Intel’s best-of-breed 4^th Gen Xeon Scalable processors and Intel Data Center GPU provide the high-performance computing to enable new capabilities.

With the incubator, enterprises can leverage the latest hardware and software to take their consumer experiences and services to the next level. “Paragon is an orchestrator that helps users scale up applications and control performance seamlessly,” shares Dennis Wong, VP, Enterprise 5G & Platforms, Singtel. “Our incubator will bring in the best, latest, and greatest technology offerings, so that you can pioneer the next generation of solutions.”

Making 5G edge deployment seamless with ecosystem support

To develop new capabilities and use cases efficiently, enterprises need more than high-speed connectivity alone. They also need a rich 5G ecosystem that brings together diverse solution providers for IT infrastructure, connectivity, and applications to converge.

Through this partnership, Singtel and Intel will combine their extensive networks and expertise to simplify digital innovation for businesses. Furthermore, Singtel and Intel are also joining hands with a range of global partners – application developers, infrastructure builders, system integrators, and more – to help enterprises bring new 5G solutions to market swiftly.

The transformative power of 5G edge is far from limited to a few verticals. Its benefits can be leveraged horizontally across diverse industries. Some key use cases that will make a powerful impact across verticals include the following.

Content streaming

As consumer demand for content streaming soars, viewer expectations for a lag-free experience are rising as well. With the majority of viewers abandoning a poor-quality video stream after just 90 seconds,² content providers must move to the edge to ensure the outstanding quality of experience that consumers expect.

Harnessing the high throughput of 5G and the ultra-low latency of MEC, Singtel and Intel have jointly developed an edge-enabled Content Delivery Network (CDN). Whereas most CDN infrastructure today remains too centralised,³ this CDN accelerates streaming by caching content at the edge, powered by Singtel’s Paragon and Intel’s XEON Scalable Processors.

This results in 46% better performance for high-definition 4K streaming over 5G MEC, with high reliability even during peak traffic periods thanks to Paragon’s on-demand scaling capabilities. From digital twins to mixed reality, the potential benefits of high-quality content streaming are endless.

Cloud gaming

Cloud gaming is surging in popularity, with Frost & Sullivan predicting that the market will grow at a CAGR of 69% between 2021 and 2025.⁴ Thus far, the biggest barrier to the rise of cloud gaming has been the issue of connectivity. Prior to the advent of 5G networks, mobile networks lacked sufficient speed and reliability to deliver smooth, responsive gameplay for gamers.

5G is poised to be a game-changer in this arena, enabling near-zero latency and thus minimising jitter and packet loss in cloud gaming.⁵ Furthermore, cloud gaming providers can tap into Singtel and Intel’s edge-enabled CDN to cache content closer to end-users, reducing lag even when players are located in different regions.

With the seamless scalability offered by Singtel Paragon, esports teams spread across the world can potentially engage in real-time battles where every millisecond matters. 5G edge also holds the potential to revolutionise virtual reality in cloud gaming, by eliminating the vertigo induced by poor-latency experiences.⁶

Video analytics

Smart video analytics is the future of surveillance and safety management, but its performance relies on fast network connectivity. Where current 4G networks are limited by lower bandwidth, 5G edge can support high-speed connectivity and high-definition video for up to millions of IoT devices per square mile.⁷ This enables smart video analytics systems to identify events and reliably trigger alerts in real-time.

Powered by Singtel Paragon, Singtel and Intel’s advanced video analytics solution positions the camera intelligence within the telco edge. Organisations can thus deploy the solution on their existing IP cameras without hefty capital expenditures.

With real-time network slicing provided by Singtel Paragon, enterprises have the flexibility to adapt this solution for almost any business need – from safety management like Trip and Fall Detection to security features like Unauthorised Path Deviation.

AR/VR

One key stumbling block in the advancement of AR/VR is cybersickness: the nausea that users suffer when poor network latency disrupts the immersive experience.⁸

The future of AR and VR depends on network connectivity that has ultra-low latency, enhanced speeds, and improved traffic capacity. 5G, supported by MEC, offers precisely all these benefits.

Through a powerful synergy of Singtel’s low-latency 5G infrastructure, Intel’s Smart Edge platform, ands mixed reality solutions, enterprise customers can easily create immersive mixed reality applications that run on diverse devices and operating systems. Hosted in a multi-tenanted SaaS fashion, this solution will power high-definition, highly responsive experiences in entertainment, gaming, Industry 4.0, and more.

One use case that the collaboration has already brought to life is an aircraft simulator – an interactive 3D model designed for hands-on workforce training in aircraft operations. Mixed reality is also set to revolutionise aircraft design. Whereas a helicopter design traditionally takes up to seven years, the efficiency of 5G-enabled VR design can accelerate the process to just six months.⁹

5G and MEC are set to unlock a new wave of innovation across industries, and it’s time for enterprises to leverage their benefits to stay ahead. With Singtel and Intel’s 5G MEC incubator, you can test out your next big digital innovation in a cost-effective way, supported by best-of-breed hardware and software.

“A lot of industry use cases we see now are about increasing productivity,” says Dennis Wong, VP, Enterprise 5G & Platforms, Singtel​. “With the incubator programme, we hope to help enterprises push performance boundaries so as to build new and innovative business capabilities.”

Contact us today to find out more about our ecosystem.

References:

1. Deloitte, Accelerating enterprise innovation and transformation with 5G and Wi-Fi 6
2. Gumlet, Adaptive Bitrate Streaming
3. STL Partners, CDN: What is edge CDN and virtual CDN?
4. Frost & Sullivan, Cloud Gaming - Driving Further Adoption in the Surging Video Game Market
5. VentureBeat, How 5G is turning cloud gaming into growth opportunities
6. The Wall Street Journal, How 5G Will Take Esports to a Whole New Level for Gamers and Fans
7. IFSEC Global, How 5G is set to impact video surveillance and the wider physical security industry
8. Frontiers, Latency and Cybersickness: Impact, Causes, and Measures
9. Sterling Helicopter, Is VR Revolutionizing the Future of Helicopter Design?