Charlie Chan (StarHub)
StarHub has partnered with Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) to convert the potential of 5G and edge computing into a market reality in Singapore, trialling a new solution tailored for enterprise customers.
Under the banner of StarHub 5G Multi-access Edge Computing (5G MEC), the offering is designed to help enterprise and government customers leverage enhanced connectivity levels to improve performance of “time-critical workloads” such as artificial intelligence (AI), automation, data analytics and machine learning.
Effective until March 2022, enterprise customers in Singapore are invited to trial 5G MEC through tapping into an ecosystem of solutions ready for on-site experimentation, spanning security cameras with analytics, workplace safety with wearables, 3D indoor positioning, augmented reality (AR) applications, drones and robots.
“The ability to interpret and act on data in real-time has become a crucial pillar for enterprises to compete strongly in the digital-first world,” said Charlie Chan, chief of Enterprise Business Group at StarHub. “Through our collaboration with HPE, we are introducing a single entry point for enterprises to transform with 5G, no matter the stage of their digital journeys.”
As outlined by Chan, 5G MEC -- which will be delivered as-a-service -- aims to “unlock the true ultra-high responsiveness features” of 5G, bringing increased computing power to the StarHub 5G node to speed up data aggregation, processing and analysis.
“With thousands of edge sites powering 5G mobile and fixed networks, we are taking the lead to bring the compute, real-time AI and machine learning analytics, and cloud productivity experiences closer to where our customers need them, be it at their offices or remote sites,” Chan added.
“As the trusted one-stop ecosystem for cloud and connectivity, customers can come to us to bring their businesses processes and operations to the 5G edge in collaboration with other like-minded technology and digital solution partners.”
Credit: StarHub 5G MEC is positioned squarely at enterprise and government customers operating in “latency-sensitive” environments across the city-state, including high-precision manufacturing, autonomous transportation on large campuses, and intelligent robots and cameras with predictive analytics.
“Edge services are a huge opportunity for telcos with the transition from just providing connectivity to offering innovative edge cloud services,” noted Chan Kong Hoe, managing director for Singapore at HPE.
“Service providers that capture this opportunity will drive greater revenues and will be able to compete successfully against global cloud providers who are targeting this space. Partnership is in HPE’s DNA and we’re excited to build an ecosystem of innovative applications that run seamlessly on our advanced, scalable and secure MEC solution.”
Powered by HPE’s MEC platform -- built on industry-standard carrier-grade infrastructure -- the offering can be deployed at 5G edge sites, local offices and on customer premises.
The vendor’s MEC solution is integrated with Saguna vEdge+ software to provide an end-to-end edge application management platform that can be configured across a multi-vendor and multi-cloud environment.
“As part of HPE solution, vEdge+ with integrated UPF, sets the pace in the industry, helping a growing number of customers accelerate the deployment of 5G use cases for the next generation of wireless services including ultra-reliable low latency (URLLC) applications,” added Ido Gur, CEO of Saguna Networks. “We have full confidence and trust in the HPE leadership offering the best solution and support.”
In conjunction with the launch, StarHub also unveiled a 5G MEC public showcase located in the lobby of StarHub Green in Singapore, which will welcome visitors until March 2022.
