Verizon Communications Inc. and Google LLC said today they’re partnering to bring edge computing services to more of their customers through the former’s 5G network.

The idea is to combine Verizon’s 5G Edge network services with the Google Distributed Cloud Edge platform to offer customers enhanced compute and storage capabilities at the edge over 5G.

The focus, initially at least, is on enterprise customers. The company’s said they will supply the joint offering through Verizon’s On Site 5G and 5G Edge platforms to bring compute and storage assets to the edge, delivering the low latency and high bandwidth needed to power things such as autonomous mobile robots, factory automation and intelligent logistics.

The companies explained this is just the first step in what they believe will be a much larger collaboration in 5G and edge computing. Eventually, they plan to add more services for enterprises as well as developer tools that will make it possible to build more advanced applications at edge locations across the U.S.

“We’re building the 5G edge compute ecosystem that will enable enterprises in many industries to benefit from having a completely dedicated private network and edge compute infrastructure on premise,” said Verizon Chief Strategy Officer Rima Qureshi.

He explained that this will give customers the ability to connect a wide range of edge devices at high speed and scale, with secure and close to real-time connectivity.

Google Cloud Chief Executive Thomas Kurian said the partnership will enable customers to build everything from artificial intelligence-driven in-store operations to live inventory management on the factory floor.

Swedish telecommunications firm Ericsson AB is one of the first to tap the new edge computing capabilities. It said it has installed a proof of concept at its new Ericsson USA 5G Smart Factory, where it is exploring new use cases for 5G in urban areas and also building 5G hardware for large-scale deployments.

Ericsson said that as one example, it’s using Verizon’s Sensor Intelligence service along with cameras on autonomous mobile robots. The robots have been tasked with scanning packages and applying computer vision to help maintain inventory at the facility’s warehouse.

image: jcomp/freepik