AWS Local Zones enable low-latency edge support and streamlined hybrid cloud deployment
Amazon on Tuesday announced the general availability of new AWS Local Zones in the United States. AWS Local Zones (LZs) in Atlanta, GA, Phoenix, AZ and Seattle, WA are now available. The three new Local Zones join 13 others already available in the U.S., in New York, Boston, Denver, Los Angeles, Houston and other major metropolitan areas.
LZs can host edge applications which require low latency connections. AWS targets the service at applications like real-time gaming, live streaming, augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR) and virtual workstations. Local Zones enable businesses to migrate applications to the cloud and meet data residency requirements, according to AWS. AWS counts Netflix among its Local Zone customers.
“AWS Local Zones is a type of AWS infrastructure deployment that places AWS compute, storage, database and other select services closer to large population, industry and IT centers where no AWS Region exists today. You can use AWS Local Zones to run applications that require single-digit millisecond latency for use cases such as real-time gaming, hybrid migrations, media and entertainment content creation, live video streaming, engineering simulations, AR/VR and machine learning inference at the edge,” said Amazon in a statement.
Low latency edge compute where it’s needed
LZs enable AWS customers to tap into specific compute, storage, or data processing resources they might need outside of Amazon’s data center locations. They’re an extension of AWS’s Region network, but they bring resources closer to the end user. They are complementary to AWS Wavelength Zones, which delivers ultra-low latency access to 5G devices.
Wavelength Zones are the basis of Verizon and AWS’ Mobile Edge Computing (MEC) service, Verizon 5G Edge with AWS Wavelength. The companies said innovators can develop low latency applications by moving AWS compute and storage services to the edge of Verizon’s 5G Ultra Wideband network. Examples range from self-driving cars to autonomous industrial equipment.
The companies are expanding their 5G collaboration in the U.S. to deliver private mobile edge computing (MEC) to enable ultra-low latency, higher levels of security and deeper customization, to support industrial operations like autonomous mobile robots (AMRs), predictive maintenance, quality assurance and near real-time monitoring and hazard alerts.
AWS has been steadily ratcheting up its Local Zone network since first bringing them online in 2019. AWS noted plans to spin up 30 new Local Zones in 2022 in major cities around the globe.
