Room 401

ETA will provide 1 (one) CEC for this session

The Edge is not a single thing, but a continuum which spans from the Cloud to the User themselves. Edge Compute and Data Centers allow for both real-time, low-latency data analysis and the ability to offload need to backhaul significant amounts of data to cloud-compute nodes relieving stress on the overall network and middle mile. Depending upon the application, compute power is pulled closer and closer to the User. From virtual conferencing, which drives point-of-presence deployments to autonomous vehicles which will potentially require compute power on city streets, the emerging edge will have a major impact on broadband networks. Edge Compute and Data Centers will be key to truly enabling smart factories, smart cities, and intelligent campus/buildings. The topic is around the emerging Edge Computing/Data Center space: the drivers behind it, the benefits of it, the expected growth, and the impacts/implications to infrastructure in broadband networks. It will focus on how optical infrastructure stands as a key enabler across the continuum and stands hand-in-hand with FTTx, 5G, and Private Network deployments.