Edge Computing Forecast to 2025

“We expect the first at scale edge compute roll-outs in 2019 and see this accelerating to 2022, when it will hit peak activity”

Edge compute is one of the biggest topics in the mobile telecoms world as operators approach deployment of 5G.

Mobile operators need to be chasing MEC (Multi-Access or Mobile Edge Compute) as much as they are 5G. Many 5G revenues streams will rely on MEC being in place. Operators who fail to adopt an early strategy for Edge will struggle.

Edge revenues will start slowly next year, but accelerate rapidly and by 2025, 45% of MNO central offices will also host edge nodes, together with 18% of macrosites and 15% of outdoor microcells or small cells. This forecast demonstrates that if some form of MEC is not adopted soon then there is little hope that MNOs will be able to cope with video and IoT data requirements which customers are expecting from the new 5G era.

The installed base of indoor small cell/edge node units will have reached over 1.8m worldwide, up from 36,000 in 2019, a CAGR of 92%. The installed base of central offices with edge nodes will grow at a CAGR of 57%, all of which will happen by 2025. The biggest growth will be in MEC co-located with indoor small cells. These cells will frequently be combined with compute, storage and analytics capabilities to support smart enterprise and smart home services.

This report not only shows how central MEC is to the thinking of mobile operators, but it explains the choices within MEC, and shows which operators are embracing which MEC architectures, and why. It points to the magnitude of savings which are possible in signaling offload and fronthaul and backhaul.

For more information contact:

Natalia Szczepanek
Client Relations and Marketing Manager
[email protected]
Office +44 (0)1179 257019