Just as previous generations of wireless technology went through a honeymoon period, 5G networking has been introduced in a big way to a wide variety of potential constituencies. Verizon, AT&T, and their contemporaries made early 5G pitches to a huge consumer base. But other 5G talk is also smoldering in the background.
A growing list of vendors and potential enterprise customers are considering how private 5G networks will reshape their organizations’ wireless connectivity in the coming years. Let’s explore the high-level whys and hows of private 5G network architectures.
Define 5G requirements
5G networking is being touted as a technology that will transform both public and private spaces. 5G will follow his 4G LTE and is believed to offer significantly better performance in comparison. While the promise of 5G sounds impressive, the realization of large-scale benefits has not yet been rapid or consistent. Understanding the trade-offs required to get there is important for anyone interested in implementing a private 5G network architecture.
As cells get smaller and, in many cases, the number of cells increases, potential internal deployments of private 5G can be complicated. At the same time, the control and power of private 5G networks could become attractive.
But why invest in private 5G networking? This technology is expensive and will probably never completely replace Wi-Fi or LAN in most environments. So it could simply be another system that your budget can accommodate.
Similarities between Wi-Fi and private 5G
As with Wi-Fi, enterprise requirements will drive the design of 5G networks. However, before a company moves to the design stage for his Wi-Fi or 5G, it needs to understand what it wants from its network. Wi-Fi and private 5G have the following characteristics in common:
Requirements drive design. If a company can’t define in detail what the network needs to do for the business, it’s nearly impossible to get a good design.
Design skills are important. In-house network design is also possible, but only if the person responsible for the task has received specialized training. Otherwise, it’s best to leave it to a third party that specializes in system design for your specific technology.
Integration is essential. Both Wi-Fi and private 5G are just parts of an overall network and require careful integration with LAN and sometimes WAN environments to be successful.
Don’t forget the wire. Both Wi-Fi and private 5G require unique cabling and routing considerations.
The difference between Wi-Fi and private 5G
Wi-Fi has been around for over 20 years. It is established in almost every corner of the corporate network environment. Private 5G, and even private LTE, are relatively new by comparison. The main differences between Wi-Fi and private 5G are:
Device density. Wi-Fi compatible devices are ubiquitous, but not many device types or models can benefit from private 5G, even if private 5G is a better service for certain applications.
Access hurdles. The private 5G paradigm, like public 5G, is subscription-based. Unlike Wi-Fi, it’s difficult to allow anyone to connect to a private 5G network. Users must have a compatible device and be registered for access.
cell and coverage. Companies should be able to overlay private 5G cells over more areas compared to Wi-Fi when it comes to simple coverage. However, if you want the incredible speeds promised by private 5G, you’ll need to manage your cell size carefully.
Considerations for private 5G deployments
Once defined, why For private 5G, how becomes important. Most environments require external assistance to function properly. As with any network design, especially for wireless networks, different network sites can have very different requirements. Although private networks can be summarized as a simple line diagram, they can become complex depending on several factors.
Let’s take a closer look at the components and connections of a private 5G network.
Small cell hardware such as gNodeB devices, remote radio heads, and their associated interconnect cables form the access edge of a 5G private network. These devices require a strong upstream connection to your LAN and probably also a connection to the Internet. Clients will obviously access the network as 5G wireless devices, but the processing that takes place upstream may rely on fiber, copper, microwave links, satellite, or a combination of all of these.
Once the ROI model for private 5G networks is established and more companies buy in, the speed of deployment could become even faster.
To support the most powerful 5G networks, upstream connectivity must scale accordingly. Interfaces typically measure tens of gigabits. The entire paradigm must fit into the existing network. The result is switching, routing, security, and core services such as Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol and DNS that are all tailored for your organization.
Private 5G is part of a company’s network, while carrier versions of 5G rely on their own core services. Hybrid topologies combine both private 5G and public 5G for flexibility and complexity.
Public 5G networks should overlap with 4G for many years. Given the size and diversity of coverage areas that need to be considered, large-scale 5G deployments cannot be implemented immediately. In contrast, private 5G networks could be deployed faster once the ROI model is established and more companies buy in.
Remember, this is not a one-size-fits-all paradigm and there are countless variations in the configuration of a private 5G network depending on what purpose the network serves and what frequencies are used. please.
How to build a private 5G network
Regardless of the specific size and configuration of your new private 5G network, the following steps are required:
Define network requirements and scope of use.
Identify client devices that must meet your requirements.
Find private 5G service. Your request for proposals may receive responses from leading system providers and other vendors specializing in fully private 5G services.
Network design may occur before or after the vendor selection process, but it is an important milestone in system construction.
Build the physical layer.
Implement system turnup.
Integrate your private 5G network with the rest of your network.
Perform testing and tuning.
Most private 5G deployments still require significant external help, but as the overall wireless environment evolves, more and more Wi-Fi professionals are transforming into “wireless generalists” Gain skills in other technologies such as WAN. .
Editor’s note:This article has been updated to provide more comprehensive information about building a private 5G network and explore the similarities and differences between Wi-Fi and private 5G.
Lee Badman is a network architect specializing in wireless and cloud technologies for a large private university. He is also an author and frequent speaker at industry events.
