Autonomous vehicles, smart waste management services, trainers that monitor how much we exercise... We live in an increasingly digital and connected environment, with greater similarities to the future we dreamed of as children. It is the so-called Internet of Things (IoT), a network of physical objects that use sensors and APIs to connect with each other and exchange data over the Internet. Its rise is unstoppable and by 2025 it is expected that there will be more than 30 billion IoT connections in the world, which is an average of almost 4 IoT devices per person.

This boom means that the amount of data to be processed and managed is increasing. Traditionally, these connected objects collect information and send it to large data centres for processing. But sending the data to the data centre for processing takes time that we sometimes don't have, and the problem comes in certain use cases where fast responses are needed and every millisecond is crucial, such as in autonomous driving. This is where the edge computing paradigm comes in, as a way to improve agility and efficiency.

What is edge computing?

Edge computing is a new approach to running certain services as close as possible to the source of the data. In other words, computational processes are performed on the connected devices themselves or on local peripheral servers (edge nodes). This brings a number of advantages:

• Lower latency time and higher speed. Latency is the time it takes for a data packet to be transferred within the network. By avoiding the step of sending all the information for processing to the cloud, the response time is reduced, providing immediacy.
• Lower bandwidth requirement, as it is not necessary to send all raw data to servers. Edge computing reduces global traffic loads, avoiding system saturation.
• Reduced security risks. It is true that edge computing expands the potential attack surface, but it reduces the impact on the organisation as a whole. When you centralise all data, analytics and processing, a single denial-of-service attack can disrupt all operations. By distributing the loads across the various nodes, the risk is also distributed. One process may fail, but the rest could continue to operate.
• Facilitates scalability. Given the exponential growth of data and analytics capabilities, it is difficult to foresee the IT infrastructure needs to cope with the future (e.g. servers with the capacity to analyse all incoming information). By incorporating edge computing services, organisations can quickly and cost-effectively extend the reach of their network by adding a new edge node.
• Reduced costs. Edge computing devices require more software capabilities for optimal performance than those that simply capture data and send it for remote analysis. However, they also allow data to be sorted from a management perspective. In other words, devices can be deployed with customised capabilities for various analytics, without the need to over-invest.

Advances in edge computing go hand in hand with 5G, which enables more devices to connect to each other and exchange data at higher speeds.

Edge computing will also continue to be complemented by cloud environments: edge computing capabilities will be more appropriate where speed and low latency in data transfer are needed, while the cloud will continue to be essential for handling large volumes of data that require greater computing power.

The impact of edge computing on smart cities

Given the above advantages, it seems obvious that edge computing represents a breakthrough for data management in various sectors, from healthcare and telemedicine to Industry 4.0. For example, Navantia, the Spanish public shipbuilding company, is implementing this technology, with the support of Red.es. Combining 5G, edge computing and the use of augmented reality glasses, it is innovating in construction processes and remote technical assistance.

But if there is one area where edge computing is particularly important, it is in smart cities. In essence, smart cities rely on IoT devices to provide connectivity and situational data analysis. Devices such as security cameras and various sensors - which transmit data related to transportation, lighting or smart buildings - operate within a city-wide network to provide a better experience for citizens. Edge computing and 5G facilitate real-time decisions, which can be made automatically by the devices themselves rather than sending data to another central computer for processing, making it easier to manage the city. This can also have an impact on the publication of open data, which could be made more agile and accessible through dynamic services.

In the city of Barcelona, edge computing use cases are being tested in different applications, such as urban transport, public safety and health services, also with the support of Red.es. Among other issues, thanks to these technologies, they are measuring in real time the best routes for getting around or achieving faster action by the urban police in the event of atmospheric phenomena.

The future of edge computing

Edge computing is expected to gradually take hold. According to EU data - based on an IDC estimate - in 2018, 80% of data processing was carried out in centralised computing facilities and 20% in the smart connected objects themselves. In 2025, the situation will be the other way around, as the following graph shows.

The European Commission, among its activities, also seeks to boost the deployment of technologies linked to edge computing, due to the numerous opportunities it offers. In this respect, its cloud activities fall into two categories:

• Invest funds in cutting-edge projects related to cloud and edge computing.
• Develop policies and standards that protect users, make cloud services more secure, ensure fair competition and create the optimal framework conditions for a thriving European industry.

In the case of Spain, we face the challenge of building 1,000 edge nodes in nine years.

In short, we are facing a new technological paradigm that is necessary due to the enormous amount of data generated not only by smart cities, but also by practically all sectors that are increasingly seeking to be more connected. This generates a need for speed and immediate analysis capabilities that edge computing can help to boost.

Content prepared by the datos.gob.es team.