Verizon, AWS bring MEC to Atlanta, New York and Washington D.C.

Starting today, businesses and developers can build and deploy applications with AWS Wavelength at Verizon’s 5G Edge in three new locations: Atlanta, New York and Washington, DC.

Verizon and AWS launched the mobile edge computing (MEC) platform last month in Boston and the Bay Area and plan to add five more cities by year end.

Mobile edge computing moves the data and processing done by the applications and services we use closer to the end user at the edge of the network. This shortens the roundtrip data needs to travel, reducing lag time, or latency.

By moving AWS compute and storage services to the edge of Verizon’s 5G Ultra Wideband network, innovators can develop applications with ultra-low latencies that will support next generation use cases ranging from self-driving cars to autonomous industrial equipment. Customers are already testing their edge solutions in AWS Wavelength zones at the edge of Verizon’s 5G network in multiple locations.

Zixi’s Software-Defined Video Platform (SDVP) enables live broadcast-quality video delivery over any IP network. The company’s currently testing how a major broadcaster’s 4K live broadcast feed can be delivered over 5G using AWS Wavelength. The end game is to test how content providers can distribute live streams across broadcast media workflows with super-low latency without the need for satellites.

“We’re working with Verizon, AWS Wavelength and a major global broadcaster to test many live and live linear 4K and 8K broadcast media workflows for 5G production implementations,” said Gordon Brooks, CEO and Executive Chairman of Zixi. “With our SDVP on Verizon 5G Edge and AWS Wavelength, our customers should have the ability to scale, provide end to end workflow management and the quality of experience that their consumers demand.”

YBVR is building a next-generation VR video platform and is testing how they can utilize 5G and Wavelength to stream live 8K Ultra HD (UHD) video to sports fans and concert goers, allowing simultaneous users to choose various camera views with ultra-low latency.

“Leveraging the powerful combination of Verizon 5G and AWS Wavelength will enable us to put the ‘fan in control’,” said Sebastian Amengual, YBVR co-founder and Chief Technology Officer. “With 5G and MEC, fans should be able to enjoy 8K live streams on mobile and XR devices in real-time and have their own, personalized watching experience which was not feasible before.”

CrowdVision is testing how 5G and AWS Wavelength can provide the throughput and low latency needed to help detect pedestrian movements using video or LiDAR and artificial intelligence to provide live data about everything from crowd congestion to traffic flows, queues and wait times in venues like airports and arenas.

“Deploying cameras and LiDAR using a wireless infrastructure that can handle CrowdVision’s large bandwidth requirements is a true game changer,” said Sam Kamel, President of CrowdVision America. “By working with Verizon and AWS, we can now extend our analytics solution to places never before accessible. With 5G and MEC, we can improve how large venues manage crowds and apply social distancing controls to deliver not only fun - but also safe - customer and fan experiences.”

Verizon’s 5G Ultra Wideband network will enable throughput at least 10 times faster than 4G; deliver ultra-low latency; and offer very high bandwidth. Verizon 5G Ultra Wideband is expected to eventually enable 100 times larger data volumes than 4G; and the ability to connect more than a million devices per kilometer.

“Watching businesses build transformational applications on the world’s first 5G mobile edge computing platform with AWS Wavelength shows how our 5G Ultra Wideband network matters to customers TODAY and is already impacting how businesses operate and consumers live, work and play,” said Tami Erwin, CEO of Verizon Business. “When it comes to innovating on 5G and MEC, we’re only scratching the surface.”