Businesses continue to embrace different technologies to realize various benefits. 5G networks are the new solutions that these enterprises are embracing. According to Morning Consult, 700 business technology decision-makers considered 5G. The survey conducted in 2020 revealed that most of the participants agreed that this technology would create new opportunities for their roles, industry, and companies.
Companies have two options when embracing 5G technology. They can choose a private 5G network or a public one. They can have a private 5G network by buying their infrastructures while contracting a mobile operator for operational support. Alternatively, they can build and maintain their 5G networks using their spectrum.
The Three Pillars of Release 16
Private 5G for companies will use new capabilities available in 3GPP Release 16. Release 16 seeks to enable 5G to replace private wired Ethernet, LTE, and Wi-Fi networks. It has various capabilities that suit industrial environments. Release 16 has three pillars that work together to equip 5G for various industrial environments:
- Ultra-reliable low-latency communication (uRLLC): this pillar enables one to connect switches, actuators, sensors, and controllers at reliability and latency levels similar to wired connections.
- Massive machine-type communications (mMTC): this pillar supports high connection densities, enabling industrial-scale IoT. Businesses can use this to link up to a million IoT devices and sensors per square kilometer.
- Enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB): this pillar was in Release 15, and it enables 5G to relay data quickly at speeds of up to 20 Gbps.
Release 16 can support time-saving networking (TSN), allowing 5G networks and fixed Ethernet to converge and coexist. Releases 17 and 18 will also improve 5G technology, and they are expected soon.
The Industrial-Grade Capabilities of a Private 5G Network
With Release 16, 5G enhanced features can improve wireless connectivity in many ways:
- Improved connectivity speeds: 5G enables connectivity of up to hundreds of megabits per second per application. This rate was only available through fiber. You can use this capability to have ultra-high definition (UHD) videos for remote visual inspection.
- A 99.9999% reliability rate: this rate implies expected downtime of under five minutes in a year. You can also partition the network to specify the service quality offered by each network segment, reducing downtime for top-priority processes.
- No metal obstruction: 5G network functions well, even in areas with metal obstructions, because of the 5G coordinated multi-point (CoMP). This capability can help firms with various conveyor belts and cranes that block 5G signals’ paths. The packets can take different paths if the current ones have obstructions.
- Massive density: 5G network can support up to a million devices per square kilometer, a significant improvement from 4G that supports up to 100,000. It can support the many sensors and devices available in facilities.
- Millisecond latency: Release 16 enables 5G networks to respond in a thousandth of a second. Some remotely controlled devices and processes automation can benefit from this low latency. A private 5G network lowers the latency further.
Benefits of a Private 5G Network
Deloitte predicts hundreds of thousands of firms will have private 5G networks within a decade. They embrace this technology to enjoy its numerous benefits, including:
- A private 5G network gives the company complete control over operations by reducing its dependence on providers.
- The network enables the firm to have separate data storage and processing.
- Companies can design and control their security policies, enabling them to customize the network to suit their needs.
- A private 5G network offers low latency and overall high speeds.
NextGen Global Resources, LLC. monitors every 5G network development and updates players in the telecommunications industry. If you are looking for a telecom job, our website has various openings. Check them out to find one that suits your skills and interests.