AT&T Launching a dozen 5G “Edge Zones” across the U.S.; Seeking Federal Funds for Fiber Optic Network Expansion
AT&T is expanding its 5G standalone (SA) core network through “edge zones” that can more quickly connect to cloud service providers including Microsoft Azure, Amazon Web Services (AWS), and Google Cloud Platform (GCP).
AT&T CTO Jeremy Legg noted in a blog post that the carrier currently has 10 of these edge zones up and running across the U.S., with plans to add at least two more of these “localized 5G network capabilities” before the end of the year. Many more will follow in 2023 and beyond.
These edge zones are powered by AT&T’s regional 5G SA network cores and are located near connection points that can quickly access cloud service provider data centers. Legg explained AT&T will explore different options on how to make the edge zones accessible to developers, either through stores operated by hyperscale companies or SDKs.
The edge zones are based on three key elements:
- Local standalone network cores
- Local public cloud or private data center computing resources
- Software-defined network capabilities and virtualized network functions
AT&T commenced work on edge networks in 2021, when it previewed a network in conjunction with Microsoft Azure.
Alongside its SA 5G network, AT&T is employing local public cloud and private data centre resources, and software-defined network elements in its edge zones. It situated the capabilities in data centres close to facilities with connections to nearby cloud providers including Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud and AWS.
An AT&T representative told Mobile World Live that Equinix is providing the cross-connect capabilities. Legg noted the edge zones enable AT&T to offer customised managed services. “It’s an exciting time for us. We’re at the dawn of a new age of killer apps almost everywhere you look,” he concluded.
Jeremy Legg, AT&T CTO
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Separately, Bloomberg reports that AT&T is counting on U.S. government stimulus grants to help fund its fiber optic buildout. The telco wants small towns to use federal economic recovery money to pay it to provide landline high-speed internet to rural and remote areas.
Evansville, Indiana is a showcase for how AT&T is working with local governments to reach people with little or no internet access. While Indiana is part of AT&T’s 21-state telecommunications service region, the company will soon announce a widening expansion into markets outside its traditional territory, according to people familiar with the plan who didn’t want to tip off competitors before the announcement. The first was Mesa, Ariz., where AT&T promised to deliver fiber connections to a market where it had offered only wireless service. That marked the first move in decades outside its existing footprint.
AT&T CEO Stankey’s seven-hour, six-stop tour in Indiana was focused on a public-private partnership, one of several in the region for AT&T. The contract with Vanderburgh County calls for the company to put $29.7 million toward building out fiber networks that will serve superfast broadband to at least 20,000 homes and businesses. An additional $9.9 million will come from the county’s American Rescue Plan money, an injection of federal funds to help with recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic.
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References:
https://www.att.com/es-us/sdabout/blogs/2022/legg-5g-edge-zones.html