Dell partners to provide 5G networking, edge solution

Dell Technologies, its VMware subsidiary, and SK Telecom have partnered to provide OneBox MEC, a single-box approach that provides enterprises with an integrated, private-5G and edge-computing platform.

Consulting giant Deloitte believes private 5G networks will become the preferred choice of networks for many of the world’s largest businesses, especially for industrial environments such as manufacturing plants, logistics centers, and ports.

Unlike the public network, a private 5G network can be configured to a location’s specific needs, and configurations can vary by site, depending on the type of work undertaken in each venue. A private network also allows companies to determine the network’s deployment timetable and coverage quality. And a private 5G networks makes most sense for a mobile edge-computing environment.

The challenge is setting it up. That’s why Dell, VMware, and South Korea’s SK Telecom have partnered to produce OneBox MEC using standard hardware.

OneBox MEC, which stands for multi-access edge computing, combines a Dell EMC PowerEdge XE2420 server with VMware’s Telco Cloud Platform and SK Telecom’s 5GX MEC Platform, allowing businesses to quickly set up private 5G networks that can be accessed and managed remotely via the cloud.

“With this collaboration, we will deliver 5G-enabled edge-computing solutions to give enterprises new options to quickly act on data where it resides,” said David Trigg, vice president of market development at Dell Technologies in a statement.

Initially, SK Telecom plans to offer OneBox MEC as ultra-low-latency infrastructure for enterprises in health care, retail, and construction. Dell and VMware are now similarly positioned to offer similar turnkey 5G private network and edge hardware bundles. Dell says it will offer the products to leading communications service providers (CSPs) to design mobile-network and edge deployments.