Future Computing Technologies

Future computing technologies encompass next-generation computational infrastructure spanning exascale supercomputing to edge processing nodes, including novel chip architectures, advanced software systems, and distributed data resources enabling end-to-end AI application workflows. This critical infrastructure category includes quantum computing systems, neuromorphic processors mimicking brain function, purpose-built AI accelerators, and high-performance computing clusters supporting scientific research and national security applications.

The FY 2027 R&D memorandum directs federal agencies to integrate computing resources from centralized exascale facilities to distributed edge infrastructure, emphasizing testbeds, experimental prototype systems, and public-private partnerships developing sustainable computing solutions for American competitiveness.

For BEAD-funded broadband deployment, fiber and advanced wireless networks create the connectivity foundation enabling distributed computing architectures essential for AI at the edge. Edge computing infrastructure—processing data near generation sources rather than transmitting to distant hyperscale data centers—transforms broadband from passive connectivity into active critical infrastructure supporting AI inference with sub-10-millisecond latency for telemedicine, autonomous vehicles, precision manufacturing, and real-time industrial control systems.