Network connectivity is just like any aspect of an enterprise: ‘There are different tools for different jobs’
Of the many possible takeaways from the recent Private Networks European Forum, one of the most ubiquitous was that nearly every enterprise across a variety of verticals can benefit from a private cellular solution. However, the specifics of how, when and where 5G or LTE might fit best into an enterprise’s operations — particularly in place of Wi-Fi — isn’t as straightforward of a topic. In one session, panelists discussed this consideration in more detail, hitting on the importance of offering bespoke solutions to suite each organization’s needs and to think more about the use case and less about the technology that powers it.
Vodafone Business’s Mobile Private Network Business Development Manager Chris Bridgeman shared that the company is seeing a “tremendous growth” in 5G interest from the manufacturing and transport/logistics verticals, while Tech Mahindra’s Practice Head for Manufacturing, Oil & Gas & Energy & Utilities Kumkum Datta said simply that “any asset-intensive industry” is enamored with the idea.
Such industries, said to Nanda Menon, the SVP of corporate development at Athonet, have fallen through the connectivity cracks in some ways because on the one hand, Wi-Fi offer great coverage for small indoor spaces, but doesn’t scale well; while on the other hand, mobile operators and equipment vendors have been focused on building out the macro networks. “There was actually this huge gap in the middle that we call square-mile networks,” said Menon. These networks — in which coverage is measured by square miles or kilometers as opposed to feet or meters — and that can address specific needs around control, mobility and critical communications are really what large enterprises need. Private cellular fits this bill, argued Menon.
Respect what’s already there
As a systems integrator, Tech Mahindra’s job is to bring different technology partners together, so Datta highlighted the importance of “tak[ing] care of what has been there” because nine times out of ten, putting in a private network is a brownfield project and there will be plenty of existing network technology. “You need to keep their ecosystem in mind — their application ecosystem, their existing network ecosystem,” she said.
Further, she continued, technology partners have to understand that connectivity is not the core business for these organizations. “Network transformation… that’s not their core,” and such, “they always depend on their partners’ views,” she stated.
Don’t get bogged down by the tech
When embarking on the private networks journey, enterprises will likely find that spectrum is the toughest nut to crack, according to Bridgeman. “Spectrum is the life blood of cellular networks. Every country approaches spectrum very differently … but we are seeing a systematic change we were seeing more industrial spectrum coming through, so my view is that you are talking to your customers to really understand what they want to achieve and avoid getting bogged down in a technology conversation,” he stated.
He added that it’s also important to keep in mind what enduser equipment is currently on an enterprise’s network and to ensure that the enterprise or organization has the right tools to support the adoption of the network technology in question. “Understanding the end-point technology helps define some of the right technology platforms from a network perspective,” explained Bridgeman.
‘Different tools for different jobs’
In general, the panelists agreed that one technology is not better than the other. Instead, there will be a coexistence between connectivity technologies. As Bridgman put it: “It’s not necessarily a choice of picking one. … There is a place for a lot of these different technologies in an organization.”
Manon agreed, reiterating the importance of thinking not about the technology itself, but of the use case, and more broadly, the evolution of enterprise operations: “Think of it is terms of you’re an industry that is moving from wireless first to almost now wireless zoning and in that world, you … haven’t got enough spectrum. But [what] you do have … as an enterprise, is a toolkit.”
In that toolkit, he continued, is of course Wi-Fi, which can be used for simple deployments, but will not offer the propagation, reliability, mobility or security that most organizations need. But now, the toolkit also has licensed spectrum in the form of cellular. “With licensed spectrums you can put 50 watts of power, you can cover square miles, it’s built for mobility, it’s built for very high density. Just like in any manufacturing industry, you’ve got different tools for different jobs,” said Manon.
“Private 5G is evolving … where the device ecosystem is still not standardized,” Datta reminded event attendees. “End-to-end standardization at this time is not what one should expect … Three and half years down the line, we will see [stabilization] in the market and I am very hopeful.”
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