US operator AT&T revealed it employed regional standalone (SA) 5G cores to commence deployment of edge networks, enabling it to offer low-latency services.

CTO Jeremy Legg stated in a blog AT&T had deployed ten so-called edge zones so far and aimed to add two more by the year-end.

He noted the networks would deliver “capabilities that simply aren’t possible with 4G”.

AT&T commenced work on edge networks in 2021, when it previewed a network in conjunction with Microsoft Azure.

Legg explained AT&T will explore different options on how to make the edge zones accessible to developers, either through stores operated by hyperscale companies or SDKs.

Alongside its SA 5G network, AT&T is employing local public cloud and private data centre resources, and software-defined network elements in its edge zones. It situated the capabilities in data centres close to facilities with connections to nearby cloud providers including Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud and AWS.

A representative told Mobile World Live Equinix is providing the cross-connect capabilities.

Legg noted the edge zones enable AT&T to offer customised managed services.

“It’s an exciting time for us. We’re at the dawn of a new age of killer apps almost everywhere you look.”