Why is the private 5G network the future of professional communications?

The advent of 5G could change the world for more than just offering faster mobile data transfer. 5G has already become a revolutionary technology in home internet services, but this is just the tip of the iceberg. Private 5G networks can bring much more benefits to businesses and individuals. 

With the ability of 5G to provide Wi-Fi-like performance over a much wider area, the technology is finding applications in important areas such as industry, healthcare, retail, and agriculture. With 5G, businesses can get much faster and wider coverage without the expense of connecting and deploying dozens of additional Wi-Fi hotspots. In this article, we will consider why there is a sense to build a private 5g network in the UK.

Why companies need private 5G

A private network is essential to any industry digitization project. The capabilities of private 5G allow the implementation of a wide range of services at socially significant and industrial facilities, which usually have increased requirements for security and reliability. The network transfers information between devices and corporate information systems, thereby providing the following important things.

1. Data security and privacy.

If the company works with personal data, then this paragraph must be observed. The network is not included in the public infrastructure, so it is protected from outside influence. The unique identifier at the same time allows you to control connections.

2. Network flexibility.

The customer independently determines the load on the network, which protects it from unforeseen failures. You can also set acceptable latency settings to keep devices in sync in production.

3. Infrastructure compatibility.

The private network can be combined with other IT systems in production, such as telephony, video surveillance, monitoring, and production control. This allows you to automate the process and increase the productivity of the enterprise.

4. Transfer rate.

Information throughout the enterprise is transmitted at higher speeds than Wi-Fi, as well as with minimal delays.

In what areas are private networks used and what awaits them in the future?

Today, private networks are actively used in various fields. For example, in the mining and energy industries, technological processes. In housing and communal services, 5G networks are used to monitor and record processes, and in healthcare, they provide communication between patients and doctors. The networks also affected the areas of cargo transportation and logistics.

The development of 5G will allow in the future to switch to remote control of processes in real-time. It will also become possible to create more digital twins, drones, cloud robots – any solutions built on the basis of artificial intelligence.

Private networks are aimed at more efficient and wider applications. Demand for the use of digital technologies, process automation, and changes in the field of communication infrastructure is growing. All this stimulates the use of private networks in more different areas.

The level of readiness for the introduction of new technologies differs in different countries and industries. However, it is obvious that their use has a positive impact on business efficiency and cost reduction.

Non-public 5G networks: how are they different from private 4G networks?

4G private networks and 5G non-public networks (NPN) are created for the needs of a particular enterprise, and access to them for other subscribers is limited. Currently, there are hundreds of such networks around the world. They are needed to ensure the communication of workers, the organization of technological networks, and even the remote control of robots and vehicles. Now, this is no longer some kind of toy or whim, but an important part of the deep modernization of production.

Noting significant interest in such networks, the developers of the 5G standard decided to continue developing this concept. The main difference between 4G private networks and 5G non-public networks is the possibility of their finer integration into the operator’s existing network.

Not all enterprises and organizations can afford to create their own network of cell towers and then pay for its maintenance, modernization, repair, etc. And most of the time it’s just not necessary. A small part of the resources of a conventional network would be enough, but, nevertheless, specially reserved and protected from use by others – ordinary subscribers in any case.

The 5G standard offers operators a more granular division of network resources for NPN needs. On the entire network or a separate group of stations, either physical resources or some fixed amount of service can be reserved, for example, a 100 Mbps channel or a capacity for 1000 simultaneous connections.

Such a service will cost an enterprise or organization much cheaper, which at times expands the circle of potential customers – NPN owners.

In addition, the operator can build separate cellular stations for the customer, especially for him, install a full reserve in the most important places, and allocate only a small resource to some of the other stations.

Thus, dozens of non-public cellular networks can be deployed on the same cellular network and there will still be a resource for ordinary subscribers of the operator. Fortunately, the 5G standard was developed in advance with a large margin in capacity.

Where can private 5G be used?

The greatest interest in 5G arises among large industrial companies that operate or implement IIoT (Industrial Internet of Things) systems. In addition, private 5G networks can be installed in remote and underdeveloped networks where there is no 5G infrastructure. Their potential users can also be universities, hospitals, military bases, or transportation hubs (airports, ports, train stations).

Standards are also under development to provide reliable connectivity for mission-critical MCPTT (Mission-Critical Push To Talk) applications. These types of systems are intended, for example, for security services or railway network operators. The 3GPP organization has already developed a corresponding standard for LTE networks and is currently preparing a version for 5G, which should be extended with specifications for reliable transmission of video and real-time data (critical video and mission-critical data).

Summary

Since private 5G networks offer more reliable connectivity, faster data transfer rates, and lower latency, as well as greater network scalability, security, and control compared to previous communication technologies, this solution will drive innovation in many industries and businesses. If you are interested in building private 5G networks the UCtel company is a reliable company to order this service. It builds secure private LTE and 5G networks for businesses to spiff up internal and external communication. These solutions provide customers with cost-effective and stable wireless connectivity opportunities and enable scalability.