5G Wireless & Distributed Computation Will Shape the Fabric of Future Networks

Cloud computing is rapidly diversifying in its compute, storage, and data distribution capabilities. As cloud and edge computing bring their power to wireless devices, newfound complexities are emerging in these deployments. Today, 5G Americas, the voice of 5G and 4G LTE for the Americas, announced the release of its latest white paper covering distributed cloud compute in 5G networks entitled, “Distributed Compute and Communications in 5G.”

Chris Pearson, President of 5G Americas said, “Distributed cloud computing could be a cornerstone for the advancement of 5G technology in the new age working world. The size and scope of a 5G network creates complexities along with new technology demands. Requirements such as integration of new infrastructure, hardware, and applications while processing the large swath of petabytes of data generated must be catered across tens of thousands of compute nodes all within a single operator’s infrastructure.”

This latest white paper introduces the readers to the concept of a “Distributed Compute and Communications Fabric” (DCC-Fabric) as a construct to cope with the expected needs of 5G and future wireless cellular networks. It examines progress towards DCC-Fabric by reviewing an evolving cloud computing and mobile communications landscape, as well as delving into social and economic needs and opportunities met by these technologies. In addition, it also richly discusses DCC-Fabric impacts on emerging applications in Mixed and Extended Reality (M/XR), the Metaverse, factory of the future, Industry 4.0, assisted living, and connected vehicles. Finally, the white paper highlights significant ongoing activities on free open-source software (FOSS) and initiatives from industry and academia.

“Distributed Compute and Communications in 5G” explores the following key topics around the DCC-Fabric:

• Introduction
• Vision and driving forces
• Evolution, expected benefits, and anticipated technology innovations
• Challenges and potential directions
• Tying benefits to applications
• Early ecosystem, including open-source initiatives by standards organizations, industry, and academia

This white paper was developed by a 5G Americas technical workgroup co-led by VMware and Intel subject matter experts.