5G, which began commercial use in 2020, is considered the final piece of the puzzle for realizing intelligent systems. The 3GPP, the organization that sets mobile communication standards, continues to improve various 5G standards, further promoting the application of this technology.
As a global hub for the ICT industry, Taiwan has seen a proactive approach to 5G deployment from industry, government, and academia. To help companies more efficiently implement 5G systems, Taiwan Abrahams and ASUS have joined forces to create the 5G AI Ready Platform and Co-Lab, which is Taiwan's first platform to integrate public cloud CSP and 5G private network.
By leveraging the high transmission speed and low latency of 5G to connect industrial AI application scenarios, a platform combining data streaming and smart applications is being built. With the strong support of key partners Taiwan Mobile and Intel, new opportunities for 5G applications are being unlocked in Taiwan.
Taiwan 5G The dedicated network is ready in every way, except for the final push.
Unlike 2G, 3G, and 4G mobile communications, which focus on general consumer applications, 5G extends its reach further into the enterprise sector. The expansion of 5G applications will not only bring broader opportunities and improved user experience, but will also be an indispensable infrastructure for future self-driving cars and smart factories. A report by market research firm Gartner predicts that by 2024, 5G coverage in first-tier cities will reach 601 TP3T.
Following its official commercial launch in 2020, 3GPP has subsequently developed R17 and R18 standards to enhance low latency and wide connectivity. In response to this trend, governments in many countries, including Taiwan, have released spectrum for 5G enterprise private networks, and the overall market is poised for takeoff. However, Chen Zhongcheng, Associate Director of ASUS Cloud Architecture Software Center and Chief Technology Officer of Taiwan Smart Cloud, points out that while 5G private networks seem ready, they are still missing a crucial catalyst: an open platform that integrates the strengths of the terminal, network, and cloud.
Photo caption: ASUS Associate President and Chief Technology Officer of Taizhi Cloud, Chen Zhongcheng, introduces the "5G AI Ready Platform and Co-creation Lab" at the ASUS AI Cloud Innovation Park.
There are two types of 5G networks in Taiwan. One is the B2C public mobile frequency network provided by telecom operators, which is a shared network service that the general public can apply for and use. Therefore, it is not easy to connect to the network when there are large crowds, such as during New Year's Eve or when crowded near Taipei 101. The other type is the B2B enterprise 5G network, which is a dedicated mobile broadband telecommunications network built and operated independently by enterprises using their own dedicated frequencies. This is also known as a 5G private network.
Chen Zhongcheng pointed out that many companies have spent time and money implementing private networks, but often do not know how to use them or how to integrate them with enterprise applications.
Chen Zhongcheng went on to analyze that to realize the true spirit of 5G, the first step is to find a telecom operator to build the infrastructure and introduce a private network. The second step is for cloud operators to build an edge cloud platform. Then, an AI development platform is introduced on the cloud-network integration platform, and software operators develop application software tailored to the needs of enterprises. To complete this whole process, a lot of money and time costs must be invested. Most enterprises inevitably adopt a wait-and-see attitude, thus delaying the opportunity for transformation.
Four major companies join forces to create an open platform
To help businesses solve this problem, Taizhi Cloud and ASUS have joined forces with key partners Taiwan Mobile and Intel to create the 5G AI Ready Platform and Co-Lab. Chen Zhongcheng stated that these four major companies specialize in different fields, and their complementary expertise on this platform can provide enterprises and ISVs (Independent Software Vendors) with a complete and readily available open platform.
This platform currently provides Taiwan Mobile's commercial telecommunications network equipment and commercial 5G frequencies, which can immediately provide enterprises with stable 5G commercial services. In addition to assisting enterprises in building 5G private networks, it can also provide seamless switching between public and private networks for some applications, allowing the system to operate smoothly. After the 5G enterprise private network frequency bands are officially opened, enterprise private network frequency bands, micro base stations, and open O-RAN solutions will also be introduced to provide enterprises with more choices.
5G private networks require "cloud-network integration" to maximize system value. Taizhi Cloud offers enterprises two products: AIHPC-as-a-Service and Infrastructure-as-a-Service. AIHPC-as-a-Service includes Taiwan's largest and most powerful high-speed computing platform, CCS container management, and the OneAI platform, a one-stop AI collaboration platform. IaaS offers virtualized computing and disk storage, cloud object storage, and high-security services.
In addition to edge cloud deployment, Chen Zhongcheng mentioned that Taiwan Smart Cloud can also provide enterprises with 5G private network edge cloud, seamlessly connecting to Taiwan's largest AI cloud, TWCC, the Taiwan Cedar II supercomputer, dynamically expanding the computing resources and capabilities of the private network system.
However, due to the very high professional threshold, most companies and ISVs find it difficult to make good use of the functions of AI that empowers 5G private networks and maximize the value of the technology.
At the 5G AI Ready Platform and Co-creation Lab, processor giant Intel provides the open Intel® oneAPI and OpenVINO™ tools to help users execute their AI applications efficiently. On the application side, ASUS has been fully committed to AIoT in recent years, achieving excellent results in vertical application areas such as smart healthcare, smart manufacturing, and smart cities. These applications can all be deployed on the 5G AI Ready Platform, allowing enterprises to choose and use them immediately, quickly realizing the value of 5G private networks.
Image caption: The 5G AI Ready Platform combines CT and IT technologies to lower the barrier to entry for users; at the same time, it integrates 5G edge cloud, public cloud (TWS), and public and private networks to create maximum overall benefits and provide users with a platform for 5G application development and execution.
By pooling the resources of many, we can meet the needs of businesses. 5G Construction requirements
Chen Zhongcheng reiterated that this open platform, by pooling the resources of many, will be able to meet the 5G deployment needs of enterprises in various vertical fields. The 5G AI Ready Platform and Co-creation Lab has prepared basic network infrastructure, edge cloud platforms, AI development tools, and AIoT vertical field systems. ISVs from various fields can collaborate on developing various intelligent services, while enterprises can easily build the most suitable 5G private network architecture through the platform.
Chen Zhongcheng stated that, just like when smartphones first came out, application vendors could easily put their apps on the platform, thus creating a new era of mobile communications, the core concept of the 5G AI Ready Platform is to provide an open platform for both supply and demand sides, so as to smoothly deploy 5G private networks and promote digital transformation.
Taiwan AI Cloud 5G AI Ready Platform The Co-creation Lab was officially launched.
Image caption: Taizhi Cloud, together with ASUS, Taiwan Mobile and Intel, jointly released a 5G AI application solution and held an opening ceremony for the 5G AI Ready Platform and co-creation laboratory at the ASUS AI Cloud Innovation Park.
To deploy 5G applications, Taizhi Cloud, together with ASUS, Taiwan Mobile and Intel, jointly launched a 5G AI application solution on August 3 (Wednesday), and held an opening ceremony for the 5G AI Ready Platform and co-creation laboratory at ASUS AI Cloud Innovation Park.
The collaboration between the four major manufacturers attracted numerous industry professionals to the park that day, resulting in a constant stream of visitors. In addition to the on-site presentations of 5G AI application solutions and the launch ceremony of the co-creation lab, many booths showcased related applications, including road monitoring technology as a smart city solution, unmanned material handling vehicles, and methods for measuring chip yield and automatically separating qualified and unqualified products, allowing businesses to quickly see the benefits of 5G solutions.
Regarding this collaboration, ASUS COO and Global Senior Vice President Hsieh Ming-chieh pointed out that ASUS's combination of AIHPC high-speed computing power, cloud services, smart IoT terminals, servers and other technologies will be applicable to fields such as smart healthcare, smart manufacturing, and smart cities.
Steve Long, General Manager of Intel Asia Pacific and Japan, stated that he is very much looking forward to the 5G AI Ready Platform and the co-creation lab bringing more innovation. Through Intel's unique capabilities, the platform integrates software, chips, and platforms to accelerate and optimize heterogeneous workloads. This platform and lab will greatly benefit end customers and independent software vendors, helping them easily develop, validate, and deploy software with exceptional efficiency.
Wu Chuan-hui, Chief Business Officer of Enterprise Services at Taiwan Mobile, also stated that 5G has clearly become a crucial global development goal, and the symbiosis of "device, network, and cloud" is the future trend of digital innovation. This collaboration has created Taiwan's first highly integrated cloud-network 5G enterprise private network service, aiming to empower enterprise users to accelerate the implementation of 5G scenarios, and also anticipating more smart applications integrating key 5G + AI technologies in the future.
Hsieh Ming-chieh concluded by stating that this collaboration with Taiwan Mobile and Intel to launch a 5G AI cloud-network integrated solution and co-creation lab will complete the final mile in the AIoT vertical industry. He also expressed hope for future partnerships to leverage ASUS's AI cloud resources to accelerate 5G applications and provide high-speed AI services to enterprises and startups.
To learn more about the 5G AI Ready Platform, please click:https://tws.twcc.ai/by-theme/5g-as-a-service/
Source:Science and Technology DailyImage source: Shutterstock