AN ANALYSIS OF THE DISTINCTIONS AMONG IOT NETWORK CLOUD, EDGE, AND FOG COMPUTING

New paradigms in computing, like edge, cloud, and fog computing, are completely changing how data is handled and processed in dispersed systems. Although cloud computing provides centralised processing and storage, the growing number of Internet of Things (IoT) applications has limited its bandwidth and latency. By dispersing resources over a larger geographic area, fog computing addresses latency issues by bringing cloud capabilities closer to the data source. This paradigm is furthered by edge computing, which allows data processing at or close to the location of data origination, greatly speeding up reaction times. The architectural distinctions, benefits, and drawbacks of these paradigms are compared in this research, which also evaluates their scalability, performance, and applicability for a range of use cases, including industrial IoT, autonomous cars, and smart cities. The study highlights the growing need for hybrid approaches that leverage the strengths of cloud, fog, and edge computing to meet the demands of modern, data-intensive applications.