The new chair will aim to increase the performance of the 5G network by relying on cloud and edge computing technologies, and AI
Montreal (Quebec), June 26, 2020 – Concordia University, ENCQOR 5G and Ericsson are proud to announce the creation of the new Industrial Research Chair in Cloud and Edge Computing for 5G and Beyond. The new chair will aim to increase the performance of the 5G network by relying on cloud and edge computing technologies and artificial intelligence (AI).
The creation of this new cutting-edge research team, which will have a five-year mandate, was made possible by a total investment of $2.7 million.
The holder of the IRC will be the renowned Professor Roch Glitho of Concordia University, and cloud network expert. “I’m honoured to partner with ENCQOR 5G and Ericsson to tackle these research and deployment challenges. Together, we aim to strengthen Canada’s digital backbone and create high-skilled workers to take us into the future.”
For the General Manager of ENCQOR 5G, Pierre Boucher, the new chair offers very promising perspectives. “The ENCQOR 5G program brings together large companies, SMEs, and academia, to contribute to the advancement of research, innovation and demonstration of applications through collaborative research and development in 5G and the use of a pre-commercial testbeds in Quebec and Ontario. The Concordia research chair has the potential to become a flagship in our research co-development program in Quebec”, said Mr. Boucher.
Edge computing: a key ingredient for 5G success
Achieving 5G performance characteristics entailed the use of several innovative technologies in the design of the 5G network. Amongst these technologies, Edge Computing is considered essential for assuring 5G success.
“At Ericsson Research, we see that future networks with deeply embedded computing will build up what we call a network compute fabric, providing a unified, integrated execution environment for distributed applications. The chair position on “Cloud & Edge Computing in 5G and Beyond” at Concordia will be one important vehicle to explore many research questions along the journey of such a network compute fabric,” said Magnus Frodigh, Vice President, Head of Ericsson Research.
Edge computing
Edge Computing is when processing tasks are distributed and processed closer to the source of the data on local servers, instead of all tasks processing in the cloud. It is faster than sending all the data back and forth to the cloud, with less chance for of delays and/or dropped messages.
“As our increasingly networked world relies more and more on cloud and edge computing, it’s critical that we envision and create the infrastructure to support new 5G applications that demand speed and reliability,” explained Mr. Glitho.
The chair program will explore cognitive technologies allowing to replace the human intervention in the management and operation flow, thus reducing operational costs and downtimes. “To do that, we’re working on ‘intelligent clouds’ in which artificial intelligence will drive all the management tasks,” said Mr. Glitho.
A large number of fields of activity will benefit from the possibilities offered by 5G technology. Mixed reality, self-driving cars, smart cities, cyber-physical systems for Industry 4.0, and remote surgery are just a few of 5G applications which will fundamentally change our lives soon. According to an estimate released by the World Economic Forum, by the year 2035, the economic impact of 5G will reach $12 trillion as the 5G network expands.
About Concordia University
Concordia is a next-generation university, continually reimagining the future of higher education. Located in the vibrant and multicultural city of Montreal, Concordia is the top-ranked university in Canada founded within the last 50 years and annually registers more than 52,000 students through its innovative approach to experiential learning, research and online education.
About ENCQOR 5G
The ENCQOR 5G initiative is funded by the governments of Canada, Quebec and Ontario as well as leading industry players Ericsson, Ciena, Thales, CGI and IBM. ENCQOR 5G is coordinated by Innovation ENCQOR, and delivered in Ontario by OCE and in Quebec by Innovation ENCQOR, Prompt and ADRIQ. The program has a mandate to bring together SMEs and academia to contribute to the advancement of research, innovation and demonstration of applications through a pre-commercial 5G test bed.
About Ericsson
Ericsson enables communications service providers to capture the full value of connectivity. The company’s portfolio spans Networks, Digital Services, Managed Services, and Emerging Business and is designed to help our customers go digital, increase efficiency and find new revenue streams. Ericsson’s investments in innovation have delivered the benefits of telephony and mobile broadband to billions of people around the world. The Ericsson stock is listed on Nasdaq Stockholm and on Nasdaq New York. www.ericsson.com
-30-
Sources:
Université Concordia
ENCQOR 5G
Ericsson
For information:
Fiona Downey
Concordia University
fiona.downey@concordia.ca
Frédéric Tremblay
ENCQOR 5G
frederic.tremblay@encqor.ca
Jimmy Duvall
Ericsson
jimmy.duvall@ericsson.com