Verizon made its first commercial deployments of an Amazon Web Services (AWS) edge computing platform, telling Mobile World Live (MWL) the move will be a significant boost for enterprises seeking to deploy 5G applications.

The operator is offering developers in Boston and San Francisco access to the AWS Wavelength platform in a play dubbed 5G Edge.

Thierry Sender, Verizon director of IoT and real-time enterprise product strategy, told MWL the centres will boost availability of edge-computing applications for businesses which are trying to cope with “three years of business transformation happening in three months”.

Verizon was one of four major global operators to back AWS Wavelength at launch in December 2019, deploying a pilot programme in Chicago.

Sender said companies in the entertainment, healthcare and manufacturing sectors had shown a particular penchant for the services, with interest increased by the Covid-19 (coronavirus) pandemic.

Citing manufacturing as an example, he said companies are looking for ways to “do more with automation”, with timely delivery of components and materials now “exceptionally critical” due to difficulties in supply chain management.

The sites are the first of ten Verizon plans to deploy in the US this year: Sender said its target was unaffected by the pandemic.