The Private 5G

Private 5G technologies are set to deliver superior connectivity experience with reduced amount of cabling

One of the great debates in networking has been whether to use wired connectivity—which brings speed—or wireless—which delivers mobility. Recent versions of Wi-Fi deliver speeds comparable to wired, removing this debate. Wired connections are still faster, but for most user applications, including video, there is no experience difference. Looking ahead, next-generation wireless appears to be well North of 1Gbps, making it a no-brainer to use wireless.

The next big decision: What kind of wireless?

In the past, there was only one option, and that was Wi-Fi. Now there is another option coming into play, and that’s 5G. Not 5G like the kind one has attached to your mobile phone, but private 5G used within enterprise environments. Certain industries, such as manufacturing, banking and logistics, want all-inclusive capabilities and top security within their own private environment or ecosystem. We can build them a completely enclosed secure network, enabling faster responses to issues. With tighter security measures in place, network owners have the ability to determine which users connect and what data is contained within the site, mitigating overall risk.

In addition, part of the attraction of a Private 5G network is that it keeps your data local and, because of the low latency, it can be real time and interactive. To add to this, within the office space, we’ve been trying to eliminate excess core cabling and infrastructure for years. If we can employ Private 5G over time, no Wi-Fi network or infrastructure would be required, just one private 5G network

Private 5G network would allow us to reduce the amount of cabling—and not having to run cabling to desks, phones and conference rooms saves a lot of time and money. It would ultimately open up a lot of possibilities for the way we design our floorplans and flexible workspace going forward. In addition, Private 5G would also enhance the end user experience. As employees come into the office, they will automatically join the building’s private network, which provides more secure and faster content delivery. This will influence the future of office design, the layout of workspace and the interior design. We are not just looking at the Future of Work but also at the Future of Workspace.

The benefits

Availability: High availability means that the end user can always use the service. In practice, the network must be built so that downtime is virtually zero and any system maintenance can be controlled, guaranteeing maximum availability. This may include robust solutions and redundancy constructions of critical elements.
Reliability: Reliability refers to the capability of transmitting a given amount of traffic within a predetermined duration with high success probability. It requires sufficient network coverage and capacity, as well as robust handover functionality.
Interworking: Interworking with public networks is an important capability. Many critical services like ambulances need service continuity while moving from one network to another, for instance from a private network to a public network. This requires a level of integration between networks.
Quality of service: Running private networks on dedicated spectrum offers the possibility to control all the elements that comprise quality of service – throughput, latency, jitter, packet drop rate, and more. each. System performance and resource use for different services can also be tailored to the specific needs within private network deployment.
Security: Private networks are expected to provide full end-to-end security to ensure information, infrastructure and people are protected from threats. This involves implementing measures to preserve the three main security principles: confidentiality, integrity and availability.

Anyone interested in the technological aspects of Private 5G networks, can refer to the following Ericsson whitepaper: https://www.ericsson.com/en/reports-and-papers/white-papers/private-5g-networks