If becoming a 5G company means not only understanding international standards but also investing in wireless networks and network slicing, few companies will embrace this initiative. Instead, true 5G companies will optimally utilize the necessary 5G services to take advantage of 5G’s advantages over previous versions of broadband wireless in terms of capacity, mobility, and network security.
The use cases that justify 5G networks will depend on what 5G does best, such as supporting large numbers of users and devices. Companies start their 5G projects by identifying the 5G benefits that apply to their company, and then consider the most likely combinations of benefits and applications to identify the optimal 5G deployment option. is needed.
Main types of 5G deployment
With almost any wireless technology, businesses can introduce new magic in a variety of ways. For 5G, deployment options include standalone (SA) and non-standalone (NSA). The differences boil down to cost, complexity, and overall performance.
In SA mode, the entire topology within a specific cell or area is forklift upgraded. This means a new 5G core on the tower, a new edge radio access network (RAN), and a 5G New Radio (5G NR) component. This setup offers the full promise of high-performance 5G.
NSA mode, on the other hand, maintains the existing LTE core but replaces the rest of the system from the edge RAN to the radio. NSA requires less overall effort and cost to deploy. NSA represents a hybrid method that provides some of the features offered by 5G, using dual connectivity and spectrum sharing. Provides 5G NR coverage according to the legacy conditions of the old core.
Compare non-standalone 5G architectures and standalone 5G.
Benefits of deploying 5G architecture
1. Network capacity
The biggest benefit of 5G is network capacity. This is evidenced by the available bandwidth per user and the number of users per cell site in his 5G estimated at 1 million devices per square kilometer compared to his 100,000 devices in 4G. is. 5G provides reliable connectivity even in areas with high user densities, making it ideal for urban areas and large venues such as stadiums and concert halls.
Enterprises that support large numbers of users or IoT devices in a single area are likely to require 5G with higher user and device capacity per cell. These 5G use cases include:
Large-scale facilities such as smart buildings and smart campuses.
A dense industrial site with many IoT sensors and controllers.
IoT applications for public safety and transportation.
Wi-Fi, especially Wi-Fi 6, can offer higher capacity per device and user, but it has limitations that 5G does not have. 5G is the most powerful option for businesses that need to support large gatherings of people and devices.
However, 5G’s high capacity is a little more complicated than it seems on the surface. The biggest use of mobile networks is connecting smartphones. However, current smartphones and their business use cases will not justify higher capacity deployment of 5G for some time. You don’t even need 5G to watch videos. Most businesses use smartphones to access core applications, not to watch videos.
5G’s higher capacity could benefit businesses that need reliable broadband to remote locations or support home offices or ad hoc meetings. A smartphone acting as a 5G dongle, 5G-enabled Wi-Fi hub, or Wi-Fi hotspot can provide more shareable bandwidth than 4G, and in some cases exceeds the wired broadband available in remote areas. There is also. 5G can fully connect your business anytime, anywhere.
2. Mobility
First and foremost, mobile networks are about mobility. Wi-Fi can support high-capacity connections and many users. However, even with the right technology selection and network design, Wi-Fi does not have the most effective built-in mobility support to successfully transfer sessions from one access point to another. . However, several technology groups are working to improve its functionality through additions. -On the element.
Large facilities that require multiple Wi-Fi hubs may also need to add 5G coverage to mobile endpoints such as self-driving cars or people walking around. Some facilities may need to track individual products or containers, and moving items between Wi-Fi hub coverage areas can disrupt ongoing sessions. 5G’s built-in and standardized mobility management capabilities help maintain these sessions.
The transportation industry can use 5G to track vehicles and their contents around the world, allowing businesses to keep track of where things are at all times. 5G supports target asset status reporting and helps inspectors and maintenance personnel locate target assets, making it ideal for situations where goods require special handling, such as constant refrigeration or regular in-transit inspections. is.
3. Network security
Public 5G services may dominate the industry, but unless companies build their own private 5G networks, network slicing essentially provides them with a private mobile network, a kind of universal VPN. For businesses concerned about IoT network attacks, 5G ensures they are the only source of access.
Although connectivity may be limited in high-density areas, 5G reduces the risk of connectivity being blocked if a cell exceeds its capacity to accommodate additional users. 5G can also guarantee private network capacity for businesses.
Businesses that build and deploy their own private mobile networks can realize powerful benefits, especially in highly regulated industries such as finance, government, utilities, and healthcare. Security is also the most complex benefit to achieve, since how secure a 5G network is and how independent it is from other users and traffic depends on how a company procures his 5G services. .
Companies should start with the easiest procurement option and only consider more difficult options if it is essential to the business case.
Tips for a successful 5G deployment
As with any network upgrade, businesses need to consider certain factors to make the transition to 5G faster and more successful. Follow these tips for a successful 5G deployment.
Understand where your existing demand is based on subscriber count and need for the low-latency benefits of 5G.
Consider replacing your oldest legacy equipment before a point of failure occurs.
Identify potential new opportunities as greenfield coverage areas are developed.
Try incorporating 5G into your new contracts and business operations.
Recognize the most basic elements that are easiest to use for SA or NSA 5G deployments.
A clear explanation of the true value and hype of 5G.
Make sure you don’t run out due to long equipment lead times.
5G procurement options
It’s important for organizations to align their technology choices with their mission. This means businesses need to understand what they want from 5G, how to obtain 5G services, and most importantly, ensure that 5G services align with how the applications expected to be supported by 5G are implemented. This means that you need to make sure that the
For example, IoT networks are useless without sensors and applications. 5G companies need to advance applications and services in parallel to contain 5G costs and risks and avoid waiting for elements to advance at different stages of implementation.
Businesses need to source 5G options that align with their service needs, including security, capacity, and geographic coverage.
Once your organization has planned and prepared for 5G applications, consider 5G procurement. Businesses can utilize his 5G services through his three options. Each option affects not only cost and complexity, but also how companies can realize the benefits listed above. Companies should start with the easiest procurement option and only consider more difficult options if it is essential to the business case.
1. Purchase public 5G service from your mobile carrier
The first way to obtain 5G service is to contract service from a public 5G mobile network operator. In terms of connectivity, this option offers businesses exactly the same functionality as his 4G, namely the ability to make and receive calls from anywhere.
While public 5G services are ideal for 5G use cases that emphasize capacity and mobility, being on a public 5G network means that enterprises are unaware of the security benefits of 5G. If your organization is happy with application-level security and doesn’t need something more comprehensive, public 5G services are the right choice.
2. Lease a 5G network slice
The second 5G procurement option is to lease network slices. This is a virtual network within public 5G that isolates your organization from other users and traffic. While network slicing targets the security benefits of 5G, it may also allow a user to adjust certain characteristics of her 5G service and target the lag or lag introduced by mobile connections. .
The important thing about network slices is that they are provided by the operator. This means that the network slice will only be available within that operator’s service area. Companies will need to devise a way to connect slices provided by multiple operators, either by the operators themselves or using their own tools. If your organization wants to cover a larger geographic area, you must decide whether your network slices will connect to the public network in some way.
3. Build a 5G network
The third way to take advantage of 5G services is for organizations to build their own 5G networks. This means that radio frequency spectrum will need to be acquired, antennas and transceivers will need to be procured, and various elements of 5G infrastructure will need to be deployed. Large users with the most important needs for quality of service and security can consider this option. Building a 5G network is neither cheap nor easy, but a company that can justify it may consider it the ultimate path to becoming his 5G company.
Whatever your organization’s rationale for 5G and the service options it requires during the procurement phase, the journey to becoming a 5G enterprise includes infrastructure providers, public cloud 5G hosts, 5G communications vendors, and mobile networks that can provide network slicing. Many other players are involved, such as carriers.
Editor’s note:This article has been updated to improve the reader experience.
