Verizon 5G Edge expands AWS Wavelength access to three more cities

3 years ago 323

Developers will be able to work directly with AWS using Verizon's new edge networks in Chicago, Houston and Phoenix.

Organizations and individuals who use Verizon's 5G edge network to create and deploy applications with Amazon Web Services can now choose from a few more cities for speedy access. On Thursday, Verizon announced that it has expanded its edge network to Chicago, Houston and Phoenix from which users will now be able to tap into Amazon's AWS Wavelength service.

SEE: Edge computing adoption to increase through 2026; organizations cautious about adding 5G to the mix (TechRepublic Premium)

Through Verizon 5G Edge, customers can design applications such as immersive VR gaming, video steaming, and autonomous vehicles that require a fast and low-latency network performance. By accessing AWS in a nearby location on the edge network, users are largely spared from the higher latency and network hops that inevitably kick in at greater distances.

Optimized for mobile edge computing apps, AWS Wavelength integrates AWS compute and storage services within mobile data centers in Wavelength Zones without leaving the carrier's network. The end result is that users can fully capitalize on the higher bandwidth and lower latency offered by 5G networks.

Launched in August of 2020, Verizon 5G Edge with AWS Wavelength will now be available in 13 of the top 20 metropolitan areas in the U.S., including Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Las Vegas, Miami, New York City, Phoenix, the San Francisco Bay Area, Seattle and Washington, D.C. Verizon said that it and AWS plan to expand the service with more locations this year.

One example of a developer using Verizon's 5G edge network with AWS Wavelength is Aetho, the maker of an augmented reality app called Beame. Aetho is working directly with Atlanta-based Morehouse College to design an interactive 3D online version of the campus to give students an AR tour of the facility complete with photorealistic 3D avatars. Through the Beame app running on a smartphone or AR headset, prospective students can interact virtually with staffers at the college.

"By using augmented reality and other extended reality platforms to extend our integration of education and cutting-edge technologies into the admissions process, Morehouse College continues to reimagine the student experience from prospect through graduation," Jose Mallabo, vice president for marketing, communications, and admissions and chief revenue officer for the school, said in a press release.

Organizations and developers curious about Verizon 5G Edge can check out the carrier's 5G Edge Discovery Service. Available through Verizon's 5G Edge developer portal, the Discovery service helps potential users find the best multi-access edge computing (MEC) location for their mobile clients.

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