Verizon's 5G Edge Vehicles: a platform for new, mobile use cases and MEC application testing

This month I had the opportunity to visit Verizon operational headquarters in Basking Ridge, New Jersey, during their Verizon Business analyst forum #VZARforum

It was great to learn more about their strategy and news of the different service offerings, in addition to meeting with Verizon executives.

Moreover, the analysts could visit Verizon's Executive Briefing Center (EBC), a building inside the headquarters, with a showcase technology center, in which clients, partners, press and analysts can see their solutions and experience use cases of 5G Edge such as Verizon's 5G Edge Cashierless Checkout , Crowd Analytics and Accelerated Access .

However, one thing that really got my attention were the vehicles with Multi-Access Edge Computing (MEC) capabilities, which is something really innovative and that open the perspectives to new opportunities for the use of the state-of-the-art connectivity of 5G standalone, with network slicing, software defined networking, and edge computing, meaning the lowest latency level possible, and the best quality and orchestration, for mission-critical applications.

First vehicle: Tactical Humanitarian Operations Response (THOR)

At the showcase technology center, a heavry truck named THOR was on display. Created for disaster response, it is a vehicle equipped with 4G and 5G radio (millimeter wave, C-band, low band, etc.), MEC hardware, satellite dish, a drone that can be untethered or tethered (with more flight autonomy), and a command and control center with screens that bring dashboards with real-time visualizations and insights.

When establishing a mobile private network with 5G standalone and network slicing, Verizon Frontline can provide each public safety agency in a city its own dedicated bandwidth and control over the applications. This is particularly important in situations such as the aftermath of the Ian hurricane in Florida in September 2022, when seventy public safety agencies in southwest Florida were involved to work on the problems.

For that hurricane, that made landfall in Florida as Category 4 and had a financial impact estimated at $115 billion (the third costliest in the history of the US), Verizon Frontline used THOR in the Fort Myers Beach area, the most impacted, in addition to other assets* such as drones, cells on wheels, portable satellite, and portable generators. In total, four hundred Verizon Frontline solutions were used.

In Fort Myers, Verizon launched a tethered drone to provide cellular coverage (up to 7-mile radius) from the sky to support the search and rescue teams on the ground.?The drone can fly for up to 1,000 hours. Another application of the drone is to register images from the sky to assess impacts and identify people in need, using the video analysis capabilities of MEC.

Second vehicle: Mobile Onsite Network-as-a-Service (NaaS)

On talking about MEC, another vehicle launched in September 2023 by Verizon, but in this case for commercial use, is the Mobile Onsite NaaS trailer. The solution delivers a private network (4G and 5G standalone), private MEC, SD-WAN, and satellite connectivity to customer locations. The beauty is that it takes just a few hours to set up the entire solution.

It can be used by private companies, public sector, and for events, concerts, and other temporary and mobile installations.

As Edge AI evolves, with computer vision and other applications applied at the edge, this tends to get more traction. Examples are the use of drones to capture and analyze video images in real-time (e.g., in a mining field) and a mobile command center for events.

The Mobile Onsite NaaS can also be used as a "Mobile Lab as a Service", an offering of Verizon Innovation Labs aimed at customers who can`t go to one of the labs locations, and/or that need to test applications on-site.

*The full list of mobile assets from Verizon Frontline is the following:

• Tactical/Mobile Command Trailer?Command/ Communications for public safety sector
• International 4300 Truck?Communications and transport for Hazmat response equipment
• Gooseneck Trailer?Work stations and attached shelter for community and public safety support with a satellite-based?wi-fi system.
• Big Red?Community outreach big rig vehicle with 24 internet-connected workstations
• Wireless Emergency Command Center (WECC)?A mobile communication center with workstations and charging stations open to the public.
• Store on Wheels (SOW)?A fully stocked mobile store supplying devices, equipment and technical support
• Tactical/Mobile Command Trailer?Command/ Communications mobile center for public safety teams
• Mobile Connectivity Agile Vehicle?Remote satellite vehicle able to create eFemto & WiFi networks?
• Rapid Response Connectivity Unit?Remote vehicle able to provide portable satellite, eFemto, and cradlepoint connections.
• Wireless Routers?Router capable of repeating RF signal and creating ad hoc wifi networks for Emergency Operation Centers and forward command units.
• Satellite Pico-cell on Trailer (SPOT) Mobile connectivity trailer (MCT) satellite trailer solution that can deploy eFemtos and/or WiFi to EOCs and first responders.
• Satellite Cell on Light Truck (SAT-COLT)?Mobile cell site equipment with onboard masts that also includes satellite equipment
• Cell on Light Truck (COLT)?Mobile cell site equipment with onboard masts contained on a truck.
• Business Inclusive Satellite Onboard Nomadic (BISON)?Multipurpose trailer that can be deployed as a temporary satellite connection or can serve as a full mobile cell site.?
• Cell on Wheels (COW)?Trailer based mobile cell site equipment that may or may not have self-contained masts
• Satellite Trailer Universal Design (STUD)?Trailer based unit w/1.8m satellite dish capable of functioning as a temporary satellite connection or can serve as a full mobile cell site.?
• LTE as a Mobile Asset (LAAMA)?Trailer based LTE asset with pop up mast and antennas in a small form factor.
• High Altitude Wireless Kennewhat (HAWK) Tethered drone aircraft capable of lifting eFemto or small cell solution up to 300’ and providing service from the air.
• WiFi on Light Frame (WOLF)?Lightweight wifi trailer with short mast to deploy wifi solutions.
• Node on Wheels (NOW) or Small?Cell Node of Wheels (SNOW)?Trailer based small cell node solution.
• Tactical Humanitarian Operations Response (THOR) Mobile cell site on a tactical vehicle boasting a private core and local MEC, eNB, satellite, multi-purpose solution
• THOR’s Hammer?Trailer based equipment that attaches to Thor with expanded node on wheels capabilities
• Matsing Equipment on Wheels (MEOW)?Large capacity antenna mounted on a scissor lift that gets paired with Big MAC equipment trailer to handle large capacity events.
• Bi-directional Amplifier Truck (BAT)?Cell signal repeater vehicle with mast to repeat cell signal.
• Cell Repeater on Wheels (CROW) Trailer based cellular repeater asset.
• Satellite Trailer Emitting Equipment Remote (STEER) Satellite equipment on a trailer to support restoration of macro cells (temporarily takes the place of fiber to connect cell towers to the rest of the network.)
• Generator on a Truck (GOAT)?Large truck mounted generator to support switch commercial power.
• Mobile Central Radio Access Network?(CRAN)?Mobile trailer/rig with equipment needed to replace or restore a CRAN hub.
• Micro Outdoor Use Satellite Equipment (MOUSE)?Small auto-point satellite solution that gets paired with an eFemto or similar solution
• Plug In Generator (PIG)?Portable generator on a trailer to restore or provide power.
• Tower on Wheels (TOW)?Towable crank up temporary tower.
• Big Multiple Amplifiers Contained Trailer (Big MAC)?Trailer based asset containing multiple remote radio heads and base band units.
• UAS/ Drones?Smaller drones used for site inspections and assessments.

Source: Verizon Frontline