One obvious issue for hyperscale “cloud computing as a service” providers working with mobile operators to supply edge computing is the always-important issue of value and revenue shares.
"I think the challenge around that might be who takes what piece of the value chain
and who owns the customer?” notes BT Chief Architect Neil McRae.
At least so far, it appears that the hyperscalers will actually own the customer.
Generally speaking, with the exception of Mobiledge, which hopes to create an edge platform controlled by service providers, the edge platform space is occupied by the same names you would expect to see leading cloud computing as a service.
Real estate--facilities, racks, electricity, security, rackspace and access network colocation--was among the reasons for the interest in multi-access edge computing on the part of connectivity providers.
Recent deals made by hyperscalers with mobile operators--including Google Cloud with AT&T or Verizon with Amazon Web Services confirm that trend, with telcos acting as providers of edge real estate.
Device suppliers, also as one might expect, are supplying the edge hardware.
How much of a platform role telcos might create, as opposed to providing real estate and dumb pipe colocation remains to be seen. Some observers estimate telco edge revenues at between $2 billion and $4 billion by 2025, for example.
Though connectivity revenue will be significant for telcos, it might not be so large as some think. The analogy is the internet of things, also a big potential revenue opportunity for telcos and others in the ecosystem. As now projected, connectivity provider direct revenues in the IoT ecosystem are a relatively small portion of the total revenue opportunity.
Perhaps it is not too early to argue that, in IoT as well as edge computing, it is likely to be hyperscalers, enterprises or system integrators who wind up “owning the customer.”
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