EDGE CENTRES
and subpar service . “ There was a recent emergency where a cyclist was badly hurt and , because the town ’ s cell network was overloaded , no one could call for an ambulance ,” says Eaves . Visitors , locals , and local businesses regularly find themselves without access to the internet – typically during peak business hours , when small businesses need access the most to run payment terminals .
“ We partnered with a local telco and the council to bring free , stable , fast internet to the whole town using our network of edge data centres ,” Eaves explains . “ Bright was a one-off for us , but that model has now been picked up by the local council who want to find a way to replicate it in other towns facing the same problems . Edge Centres won ' t be the company to do that ; that ' s not our business model . But we ' ve created that use case at the edge : this is how you fix your small rural town ' s internet .”
Around the world , the digital divide remains a huge issue – one that disproportionately affects rural , minority , and lower income demographics – that needs to be addressed . By leveraging small and self-sufficient , but highly connected edge data centres in remote , rural , and underserved areas , the edge could be a big part of the solution to a problem that ’ s only growing more severe as the physical world becomes more and more entwined with the digital one .
“ The Edge means creating an application to suit a niche market , and we just happen to have grouped all those applications under one big umbrella ”
JONATHAN EAVES FOUNDER & CEO EDGE CENTRES
Jakarta , Indonesia Of course , Eaves stresses : “ The edge in Asia is fundamentally different to the edge in regional Australia .”
Edge Centres recently started working on a proof-of-concept trial with an Indonesian client whose needs raise a
46 August 2022