Natasha Tamaskar serves as Vice President, Global Marketing and Sales Strategy for Radisys. Follow on Twitter @ntamaskar.
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While much has been made of 5G for the consumer market with global mobile operators pledging blazing fast speeds to their subscribers, I believe the true power of 5G will be realized in the business sphere. In comparison to 4G/LTE technology, 5G promises up to 100x faster speeds and ultra-low latency down to one millisecond. For most consumers who use their mobile devices for video streaming, video conferencing or gaming, 4G/LTE is probably already fast enough.
When we look to Industry 4.0 applications, 5G’s speed and low latency are significant. Industry 4.0 is the term used to describe the 4th Industrial Revolution — which is focused on connecting billions of devices. The primary features of 5G making these wireless connections possible include enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB), Ultra-Reliable Low Latency Communications (URLLC) and massive Machine Type Communications (mMTC). In industrial settings, these 5G capabilities will support capacity and latency requirements for use cases such as autonomous guided vehicles, video surveillance, asset tracking, robotic factories and more — while improving worker safety and efficiency.
5G networks that have been rolled out to support consumer use cases have mostly been macro cell deployments — via cell towers — for public networks operating in mmWave or sub-6 GHz spectrum. In contrast, enterprises and industrial verticals such as manufacturing, mining, logistics, oil and gas, transportation, healthcare and ports will deploy 5G small cells for their own private networks.
According to a recent study from Rethink RAN Research, there will be 1.56 million private 5G small cells deployed by 2027, a huge uptake when compared to 1,945 5G small cells deployed in 2020.
There are several key advantages to 5G small cell deployments for private networks that will drive this growth and that businesses should consider.
1. Capacity
With eMBB and mMTC capabilities built-in, 5G small cells can connect a large number of devices on a single private network, meeting capacity demands for wireless connectivity. If an industrial site or campus needs more capacity as demand on the network grows, additional 5G small cells can be easily added.
2. Coverage
Enterprises can pinpoint where coverage is needed on a campus and then deploy 5G small cells strategically to provide full coverage of a site — similar to how Wi-Fi access points are deployed today in an office building. This also provides enterprises with the flexibility to easily expand coverage to meet evolving requirements.
3. Mobility
Unlike Wi-Fi access points, 5G small cells are built on 3GPP mobile technology, ensuring seamless hand-off between small cells with no connectivity loss. This is critical for use cases such as autonomous forklifts that are driving across a factory floor or for tracking containers in a shipping port measured in square kilometers.
4. Security
When enterprises deploy their own private network with 5G small cells, they are able to keep all data on the premise rather than sending it through a public network or cloud.
5. Spectrum Availability
5G small cells can be deployed in licensed, shared, unlicensed or locally licensed spectrum, providing enterprises with a variety of deployment options for their private network. They can choose to partner with a mobile operator to deploy a private network in a licensed spectrum. Alternatively, they can take advantage of shared spectrum initiatives such as CBRS in the U.S. and deploy in the available 3.5 GHz band or in the globally available unlicensed 5 GHz or 6 GHz spectrum bands. In addition, several countries such as Germany and the U.K. have set aside dedicated locally licensed spectrum for exclusive use by enterprises and industry verticals. The wide array of available spectrum options will help jumpstart 5G small cell deployment by an enterprise.
There are a number of 5G private network deployments already underway today, and there is seemingly endless opportunity for enterprises that deploy 5G small cells for their private network. By deploying their own private network, enterprises can ensure that they have coverage and capacity where they need it most; they can keep all of their data secure, on-premise and readily available; and they can implement automation technologies that will increase business efficiencies.
There are a few ways to get started for interested enterprises. One option is to partner with a service provider or systems integrator for deployment. Another option is to leverage network-in-a-box type solutions that can be deployed by your own IT team. I believe 5G’s fast speed and low latency will come to full fruition in the private network arena and interested enterprises have an opportunity now to develop a 5G small cell strategy to compete in this space.
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