The combination of 5G’s ultra-low latency (<5ms) and edge computing is turning AR/VR-assisted remote customer service into a reality. According to ABI Research, by 2026, 30% of all customer service interactions globally will involve edge computing.
Case in point: Japanese telecom operator KDDI has deployed edge AI nodes in its contact centers, enabling real-time speech-to-text processing and cutting latency from 80ms on the cloud to just 5ms locally. GlobalConnect’s 5G customer service solution allows overseas agents to use AR glasses to pinpoint device faults on a customer’s equipment in real time.
Industry insight: The core advantage of edge computing lies in data localization—a critical factor for compliance in the finance and healthcare sectors. For instance, Swiss bank UBS uses edge nodes to process sensitive transaction queries, ensuring data never leaves its campus.
Challenges: The deployment cost of edge nodes remains high, but 5G network slicing technology is expected to reduce the cost of dedicated networks by 40%.