Big data, little servers: Vodafone’s plan to carry more mobile data
Mon 21 Jul 2014
British telecom giant, Vodafone, has announced a partnership with the computer science department at Imperial College London as it looks to redefine the future of its data infrastructure.
In a Wall Street Journal update, technology editor, Amir Mizroch revealed the collaborative research will aim to discover whether smaller data centres based directly at mobile towers could improve data services for consumers.
Mizroch outlines how current infrastructure, with data server centres placed away from mobile sites, is not fit for the growing popularity of data-heavy applications, such as video streaming and gaming. “Data quality is a competitive factor, so distance between cell towers and data centres could be an important aspect of a carrier’s infrastructure,” he said.
This consideration of network options comes as mobile operators are looking into alternative infrastructure solutions to cope with increasing data traffic. “Bringing data centres closer to the mobile tower, or base station, could allow for accommodation of bigger and faster traffic,” Mizroch suggests.
Read the full WSJ Digits post here
