Unlocking 5G’s full potential 

Ted Curtis at NETSCOUT describes tackling the hurdle-filled path to private 5G networks

 

When first introduced, private 5G networks were viewed as the future of enterprise connectivity. In fact, a study by NTT Data in 2021 indicated that 90 percent of Chief Information Officers (CIOs) believed that private 5G would become the new networks standard; more than half of firms planned to implement these networks by the end of 2024. While these figures paint a picture of a highly optimistic outlook, implementation has been much slower than expected. So, why is widespread adoption yet to take place?

 

In short, many enterprises exploring practical implementations of private 5G face significant obstacles that can impact the technology’s positive potential, forcing many business leaders to reconsider rolling out the technology. After all, decision makers must be able to see an overwhelmingly positive return on their investment if they do choose to go ahead with private network implementation. 

 

However, despite its slower than anticipated uptake, all is not lost – the market for private 5G networks is currently expanding at an impressive rate. In the UK, the private 5G network market is expected to grow by 51.1 percent annually between 2024-2030 – signalling huge growth opportunities for communications service providers (CSPs) and, in turn, enterprises across sectors – from manufacturing and logistics to healthcare and utilities. 

 

This growth comes as businesses work alongside telecoms operators and systems integrators to establish private wireless networks capable of delivering more secure, reliable, and faster connectivity for their services. With the potential for rapid expansion of such networks so evident, there are plenty of exciting possibilities for enterprises to benefit from deploying private 5G networks.

 

 

Benefits of a private 5G network 

Private 5G networks offer enterprises a wealth of benefits including flexibility and freedom from the limitations of wired hardware-based networks, as well as increased speed and coverage. These networks not only provide dedicated cellular communication to meet the specific network needs of enterprises and organisations, but can also transform static business and revitalise end-user experiences. Some of the most common emerging use cases include factory and warehouse automation, campus communications, and enabling healthcare applications like telemedicine and robotic surgery.

 

Compared with public 5G networks, private 5G networks offer several additional advantages. Firstly, with a private network, enterprises can deliver uninterrupted coverage throughout buildings. This allows them to manage network access and functions on a case-by-case basis. 

 

Secondly, using a private 5G network bypasses public network congestion, ensuring low latency and high speeds for time-sensitive applications. Private 5G networks also safeguard sensitive data with end-to-end encryption – a feature that is not always available on public systems.

 

Additionally, private 5G networks outperform Wi-Fi in many cases, providing broader coverage and higher device capacity. Unlike Wi-Fi, which often struggles to deliver in high-density environments, private 5G networks can efficiently manage multiple devices simultaneously without sacrificing performance.

 

 

Obstacles holding enterprises back

One of the main obstacles is the need to adapt to the existing environment in which the private network will be deployed. In fact, designing a private network requires extremely careful consideration of the local environment. This is especially true when it comes to deploying networks in complex environments such as warehouses, ports, airports, and cities, where the need to work around existing infrastructure can make this challenging. For example, cellular signals struggle to penetrate certain building materials, leading to potential coverage gaps and reduced performance indoors. To overcome this, additional infrastructure is often required in indoor environments.  

 

Carefully adapting to existing environments without causing interference requires the right talent – another significant hurdle for decision-makers considering the ongoing shortage of skilled network engineers. Compared with past generations, 5G networks are much more complex to build and maintain. This is because they tend to require a denser network of cells, more complex mapping of coverage areas, and greater network orchestration, among other technical factors. And, although the 5G market has begun to mature, the telecoms industry continues to face a significant skills gap – particularly for employees skilled in both construction and cybersecurity. 

 

As a result, finding and subsequently retaining employees who possess these skills is a challenging proposition. Many enterprises interested in building private 5G networks must look to an outside firm – such as a systems integrator, a preferred service provider, or even a non-traditional cloud provider – to set up and manage their network as a service. Outsourcing the right talent is likely to be cheaper and more cost-effective in the long run since an external firm may have a better understanding of the latest technologies to help automate network performance and prevent service disruptions.

 

For enterprises and CSPs to ensure performance and a quality customer experience, they need end-to-end visibility throughout their complex network domains and cloud ecosystems. As the wealth of private 5G deployment options complicates network visibility and hindersreal-time analytics and automation, organisations must employ visibility solutions right from the start to guarantee 24/7 support. These visibility solutions must be agnostic, vendor-neutral, and highly automated to meet business needs and facilitate constant innovation.

 

 

Is private 5G right for your business?

Before thinking about deploying a private 5G network, enterprises need to make sure that this is the best option for their intended application, timeline, and budget. While private 5G may offer superior technology and improved performance, the complexity involved in its setup and maintenance can quickly overwhelm an organisation’s existing IT and networking teams, which require specialised operational skills to reap the benefits of private 5G. 

 

Instead of diving head-first into private 5G, enterprises should consider whether a private 5G network is the best option to suit their needs, or whether a 5G network slice from a carrier or a private 4G LTE network is a viable alternative. If connected devices and related applications do not require ultra-low latency or bandwidth to achieve the business’s goal, other types of connectivity, such as private 4G LTE or even traditional Wi-Fi 6, may prove more cost-effective options. 

 

Furthermore, carriers have come a long way to be able to offer dedicated slices of their 5G networks, offering many of the same benefits as private 5G networks. With customised service level agreements, enterprises can achieve many of the unique performance characteristics private 5G service provides, including ultra-low latency for sensitive applications, in a more cost-effective manner.

 

Despite its adoption being slower than initially predicted, the promise of accelerated private 5G adoption remains strong. Nevertheless, by carefully assessing the intended applications and use cases involved, organisations can make the right decision about their connectivity investments, ensuring their business needs are met. 

 

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Ted Curtis is a senior engineer at NETSCOUT

 

Main image courtesy of iStockPhoto.com and alexsl