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Slow Rollout for Private 5G Networks

Rio Tinto sets up 4G networks in many of its mines. (Source: Rio Tinto)

ACCESS IS THE KEY work at its massive headquarters in Wolfsburg, Germany. Vodafone
Unfettered access to spectrum is crucial to a corporation, or any other is deploying a similar private 5G network for Porsche at its Weissach
organization, that wants to institute its own cellular space. In the U.S., Development Center in Germany.
the recent release of CBRS spectrum (3,550–3,700 MHz) has eased Japanese operator NTT has released a survey that interviewed 216
bandwidth access for individual enterprises, as well as for service technology executives about their plans for private 5G networks. It
providers that cater specifically to corporations, by providing fast found that half planned to implement a private 5G network within six
deployment of private networks with optimized architectures. to 24 months.
Amazon began offering enterprise customers a “turnkey” method to
roll out a private network late last year. The vendor says it will enable COULD THIS BE THE YEAR?
private networking on 4G LTE, CBRS, and 5G via its AWS arm. In its FAQ, Clearly, with the widespread arrival of standalone 5G as well as CBRS,
Amazon says that AWS Private 5G uses CBRS for the service in the U.S. 5G private networking is gathering speed the world over. This looks to
Comcast recently revealed plans to enter the private networking be the year that several large enterprise players deploy the technology
business to deploy a private CBRS system at Philadelphia’s Wells and many more test it out.
Fargo Center in the first quarter. Comcast has spent US$495 million to Amazon, Comcast, and Dish will be interesting new entrants into
acquire 830 Priority Access Licenses (PALs) across the country. what is still, despite all the hype, a very new market.
Dish, another major winner in the PAL CBRS auction, plans to launch Analyst Bubley, meanwhile, predicts that the market will evolve fur-
private networking for enterprises as it rolls out its 5G network in the ther over the next few years. He anticipates that private networking will
U.S. The operator differs from many of the entrants into the 5G represent at least three distinct sectors with divergent needs: indoor
private-network market in that it is deploying a greenfield, standalone mobile-phone installations, critical communications, and cloud/IT/IoT
5G network across the states. Dish is launching its first 5G market in networks.
Las Vegas in the first quarter. Obviously, it will need to deploy more He expects the sectors to start to overlap more in the next 18 months
large metro markets before it can snare additional enterprise custom- or so. With critical comms supporting more IT-like applications, “some
ers, but Dish says it has traction with business customers already. enterprise private cellular networks will examine adding neutral-host
All the major mobile operators in the U.S. are busily promoting their and inbound roaming or interconnect from public MNOs’ [mobile net-
private 5G networking efforts in 2022. work operators’] subscribers,” Bubley writes.
Other semi-private models, such as outdoor neutral host networks
A WORLDWIDE ENTERPRISE that sell capacity wholesale to MNOs, will likely arise. The sky’s the
Europe, rather than America, may be the major focus for 5G private limit as far as hybrids and spinoffs of private networking go. ■
networking in 2022. For instance, France and Germany have just
announced that they are pledging €17.7 million (US$20 million) for four Dan Jones is a veteran communications industry reporter and
collaborative projects using 5G. AspenCore contributor. This article was originally published on EE Times
Volkswagen is working with Nokia to deploy a standalone 5G net- and may be viewed at bit.ly/32DE0Wa.

MARCH 2022 | www.eetimes.eu