Dell Technologies and AT&T*are jointly exploring the development of key open infrastructure technology areas for the next-generation network edge that will be required by service providers to support new use cases and service opportunities in a cloud-oriented 5G world.

Realizing the full potential of 5G innovation

5G is not simply an evolution from 4G. 5G requires massive transformation. It demands new, distributed architectures that use software-defined, disaggregated and open infrastructure to automate the delivery and management of mobile services and new analytics-driven telemetry to ensure consistent service levels.

The goal of edge computing is to move compute closer to the end user and applications, creating a low-latency environment for a new class of cloud-native applications. Combining edge computing and 5G extends cloud and "IT-centric" requirements beyond traditional fixed-function hardware to deliver more dynamic, agile edge compute, storage and networking solutions on an unprecedented scale. To capitalize on the new business opportunities that edge computing and 5G will create, communication service providers need open, validated, industry-standard architectures, combined with software-defined networking (SDN), network functions virtualization (NFV), cloud-native applications, and Multi-access edge computing (MEC).

Combining their respective expertise, Dell Technologies and AT&T will collaborate in the open source community to: