CIOs increasingly sensitive to private 5G networks

Public 5G networks are often touted as providing highly reliable, low-latency communication needed for applications as diverse as industrial control, self-driving cars and virtual reality. But not all of these networks are created equal. In some cases, it may be necessary to build your own private 5G network to achieve the expected benefits – or hire one of the many system integrators ready to build and manage it for you. Industry 4.0 connected manufacturing systems rely on low latency to synchronize machines and help them react to their environment. Any delay may cause damage to the equipment or the installation. Virtual reality applications need a fast response from servers to avoid the feeling of nausea caused by the latency between the movements of the users and what they see. For occupants of a self-driving car, the delays in transmitting information can be much worse…

Most network operators offering 5G service today use the 5G NR (New Radio) interface with a somewhat older 4G core network, a combination more commonly known as “5G NSA” (non-standalone) , sending control signals over the 4G network, while data travels through 5G. Although with Enhanced Packet Core (EPC) many 4G LTE networks are quite fast, they are not as fast as with 5G Packet Core designed specifically for 5G SA (standalone) networks. And only 5G SA networks can deliver features like sub-10ms latency and network slicing into logically separate services.

Network carriers like to blur the lines, so it might not be easy to see which version of 5G your local carrier offers. But according to a report by the Global Suppliers Mobile Association (GSMA), while 67 carriers were investing in 5G SA by June 2021, only a few were offering commercial 5G SA service, including T-Mobile in the US, China Mobile, China Telecom, China Unicom and China Mobile Hong Kong. A few others used it for fixed wireless access or had claimed launches that the GSMA could not verify.

A clear path for private 5G networks

For companies looking to deploy 5G coverage across a large campus, for example, or a facility in a port environment, refinery, or manufacturing plant, private 5G can be an attractive proposition. Unlike WiFi, 5G has the range to cover a large site from just a few locations, and the ability to build a private 5G network means CIOs don’t have to wait for their national network operators to get around. travel to deploy 5G in their region. Private 5G networks can operate in some countries on unlicensed frequencies, just like WiFi, but in other countries permissions must be sought from regulatory authorities. This may be the case for ports, for example.

The downside is that without a network operator running things, someone will have to deal with the planning of high point locations and the installation and ongoing management and maintenance of the equipment, something most businesses won’t be prepared for. Fortunately, there are a growing number of systems integrators willing to take on the job. And it even gets to the point where you can order a 5G network from Amazon, installation and maintenance included. Nokia has thus partnered for years with Accenture, Atos, DXC Technology, EY and Infosys to create and manage private wireless networks and, in February 2022, added the IBM spin-off Kyndryl to this list. It relies on them to provide companies with first- and second-level support, but can step in itself to provide third-level support, says Nathan Stenson, global head of partnerships at Nokia. Its Nordic rival Ericsson works with DXC, as well as CapGemini, Fuijitsu, KPMG, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) and many others.

From 5G connected to the cloud

CIOs can also look to Cisco, which has partnered with carrier Dish Network to deliver enterprise 5G, or NTT, which recently partnered with ServiceNow to automate aspects of private network deployment. Nathan Stenson, Vice President of Channel Sales at Nokia, advises CIOs to choose your partners carefully. “We work with all types of partners, but those who are the most efficient in this area are able to provide, in addition to the integration capacity, network service management”, explains the manager.

One of the most significant benefits that consumer 5G networks will bring, thanks to the way they are structured, is the ability to deliver computing capabilities close to the devices they connect to. This is because, unlike 3G and 4G wireless networks, data traffic does not have to return to the core of the network before it can be forwarded. Processing IoT data close to where it was generated becomes possible, further reducing latency in industrial control applications. Nokia offers this feature as a service through its Digital Automation Cloud. Microsoft offers a number of Azure features related to delivering edge computing for 5G networks, including Azure Private Multi-Access Edge Compute.

AWS further with Private 5G

Amazon Web Services, on the other hand, offers a way to divide applications between back-end services running in its core cloud regions and delay-sensitive functions. On this point, the Wavelength Zone offer offers an infrastructure integrating AWS storage and computing services within 5G networks.

But it goes even further by offering a restricted access beta of a complete turnkey wireless network as a service, AWS Private 5G, since November 2021. The latter could be a way to help many other organizations to provide 5G on their premises, explains Nathan Stenson. Offering something that can be sold through regular, simply plugged-in distribution channels could be the way to get private 5G adopted by thousands of school authorities across North America, he suggests. Whether such offerings will provide competition or complement to WiFi for businesses connecting branch offices or other locations across the country remains to be seen.