Private 5G

What is private 5G?

5G is the fifth generation of cellular technology and is based on 3GPP standards. It builds on the innovation of 4G (also known as LTE) to significantly increase speed, reduce latency, and improve the flexibility of wireless services to better serve consumers and digitalize businesses. End user devices must be 5G compatible to run on 5G networks since the standard is not backwards compatible.

Private 5G leverages the same technology standard as public 5G. However, the "private" in private 5G signifies that the cellular network is deployed to meet the needs of a specific enterprise, under control and with dedicated access to private resources. It offers greater reliability and security since the resources are dedicated to a specific entity. Unlike Wi-Fi which uses unlicensed spectrum, private 5G relies on a network slice from a public network or lightly licensed spectrum such as CBRS

Private LTE enables enterprises to deploy a cellular network with dedicated access to private resources based on the 3GPP standard for LTE/4G. Private 5G represents the evolution of cellular technology that offers faster speeds and lower latency than private LTE.

Public 5G is a shared resource provided by mobile network operators to their subscribers, whereas private 5G provides dedicated enterprise access to private resources under enterprise control.

Private 5G consists of 3 key components and can be managed on-prem, in the cloud, delivered as a service or through a hybrid model:

• 5G mobile core

The management layer of the private 5G network, exposed to the enterprise through the same tools used to manage existing Wi-Fi networks.

• Radio access network (RAN)

The local radio network made up of small cells, typically leveraging shared spectrum identified specifically for enterprise use.

• 5G client devices

The mobile endpoints of the network with physical or eSIM credentials.

The private 5G network can be deployed in the public or private cloud, on-prem, or in a hybrid model

There are several models including:

• Enterprise-owned private 5G: The organization owns and manages all the equipment and leverages shared spectrum identified for private enterprise use.
• 5G as a service: A service provider or system integrator deploys the network and can manage it on behalf of an enterprise.
• Neutral host: In either of the above deployment models, the private network accepts inbound roaming of subscribers from a public cellular network, bridging local gaps in cellular coverage.

The market is estimated to reach $9B by 2028, according to Analysy Mason (Analysys Mason, Telecoms capex: worldwide trends and forecasts 2018–2028, 2024).

Private cellular networks (LTE and 5G) represent an emerging market with most investments thus far in energy, mining, manufacturing, transportation, logistics, government, and public venues. As private cellular networks become more closely integrated with existing Wi-Fi networks, opportunities open across a broader range of markets, including coverage over larger areas, segregating guest from back-of-house traffic, ensuring more deterministic mobility for high-velocity IoT clients, or filling gaps in public network coverage. Examples include:

• Retailers can operate mobile point-of-sale terminals and inventory scanners, connect building IoT systems, feed ruggedized tablets on forklifts, and power robotic warehouse systems
• Manufacturers can use wirelessly enabled power tools to record every aspect of a product’s creation as it moves down the line, and apply machine vision systems for automated quality inspection
• Public venues can perform ticket scanning, enable push-to-talk (PTT) voice communication between staff members, and sports teams can provide secure sideline data terminals for real time decision making
• Hospitals can deliver latency-sensitive medical telemetry to nursing stations and electronic medical record servers, and provide PTT voice communication for clinical staff, and enhance in-building cellular service for patients, families, and staff
• Mining and heavy industry can use private 5G to cover large areas without the need to run cable.

5G plays an important role in AI. AI is driving more challenges around growth of traffic, performance, and latency. AI generates more data, and that data cannot sit in a single location. It is truly dynamic, and it must be acted upon multiple times, often in multiple locations, which in turn drives a significant increase in data loads in customer network environments.

To be able to collect all data—no matter where it’s generated—enterprises need to implement the broadest set of connectivity options including private 5G. Because of the parallel processing inherent in AI, latency must be kept to a minimum.  Private 5G delivers wide area coverage across a broad range of end user devices, yet is highly reliable with very low latencY.

HPE Aruba Networking Air Pass enables Wi-Fi enabled devices with SIM credentials to automatically connect to local Wi-Fi networks. The combination of the Air Pass service, Passpoint authentication, and Wi-Fi Calling (WFC) ensures robust in-building and campus cellular coverage, delivered over Wi-Fi, while also aligning SIM-based identities with corporate credentials.

As background, when 5G first was rolled out, it typically relied on 5G non-standalone core, also known as 5G NSA. By using a 4G (LTE) core and 5G RAN, this intermediate step allowed service providers to roll out 5G without replacing the core backend systems while still delivering faster speeds and better reliability than a full 4G network. In contrast to 5G NSA, 5G standalone uses a 5G core and 5G radio with cloud-native architecture for greater flexibility and dynamic resource allocation. Today’s focus is on rolling out 5G standalone implementations.