Caroline Chan, Vice President and General Manager for Intel’s Network Business Incubator, believes that three key technologies will unlock the true potential of data—5G, edge compute, and AI.
Watch her recent interview or read the Q&A below to learn how these technologies will work together to accelerate new opportunities for enterprises and society—and how Intel is uniquely positioned to enable service providers to facilitate the vision of a data-centric world.
The following excerpt has been lightly edited for clarity and length.
Q: What is Intel’s vision for 5G?
5G is more than just a new standard for networking. It’s the beginning of a revolution. For the first time, we have a standard that focuses on enterprises, verticals, and things. Yes, it’s about transforming business, but it’s also about transforming people’s lives.
Q: What is the advantage of edge computing + AI + 5G?
Today, only about 2 to 4 percent of data is analyzed at the edge. The idea with 5G is to analyze up to 75 percent of data at the edge by 2024. For that, you need connectivity and edge compute. Going one step further, 5G, AI, and edge compute together, are the game-changers of a generation.
Q: How do 5G and AI complement each other?
AI-driven data processing is changing how society functions. It’s changing our future. The fact that you’re connecting massive amounts of data over 5G really enables AI to take hold. At the same time, AI helps 5G. That’s because 5G is so complex, it needs AI to help simplify its operation and create opportunities for innovative services across the network.
Q: What is Intel’s part in the 5G story?
Intel offers a broad portfolio for the 5G, AI, and edge compute era, including CPUs, FPGAs, structured eASICs, custom ASICs, and Movidius™ VPUs. Together, these technologies provide the backbone of 5G—from the cloud to the network to the edge. When it comes to software, we’ve been working with the open-source community for a long time. We have the OpenVINO™ Toolkit for AI, an edge analytics suite, OpenNESS, and reference designs for the entire 5G stack—all to enable our customer to quickly bring their offerings to the table.
Q: Why is Intel so well-positioned to build out 5G?
Intel is in the best position to build out 5G because of our heritage. We utilize our experience and expertise from the cloud, enterprise, and network at every step. In doing so, we’re uniquely able to help service providers monetize, deploy efficiently, and expand their 5G reach beyond consumer phones and into different enterprises and verticals. This is what I call the chief information officer (CIO) space.
Learn more about Intel’s vision for 5G by watching the suite of executive interviews:
● AI Fuels 5G Innovation Behind the Scenes with Caroline Chan, VP and GM, Network Business Incubator
● Evolve Business with 5G and Edge Compute with Ronnie Vashista, VP and GM, Network and Custom Logic Group
● A Perfect Storm of Innovation with Alex Quach, VP and GM, Wireline and Core Network
● Cloud to Network to Edge with Lynn Comp, VP and GM, Visual Cloud
● Unleash Network Modernization with Dan Rodriguez, VP and GM, Network Platforms Group
● Accelerating Business Opportunities with Asha Keddy, VP and GM, Next Generation and Standards, 5G
Caroline Chan is General Manager of 5G Infrastructure Division within Intel's Network Platform Group. Caroline has overall responsibility for Intel's global network infrastructure strategy and solution development related to 5th-generation wireless technology. Chan and her team identify and develop use cases that incorporate the Internet of Things, innovation in wireless technologies and deployment models.