The internet tilts toward the edge

IT infrastructure — and the internet — has grown much, much bigger but not closer, or at least not close enough to support the anticipated wave of edge computing. Adoption of the internet of things, 5G and other edge applications is set to have a dramatic impact, with more applications processing, more switching, and more data never reaching the hyperscale core.

A rising tide

Edge computing involves many players: cable companies, mobile network operators, cellular tower companies, content distribution network (CDN) providers, data center owners, governments, landowners, service providers, software companies and more. How these companies will coordinate resources and intelligence between nodes, how they will interface with legacy networks, and how they will profit — the answers to all these questions are works in progress.