Ericsson has added a new IT-focused private cellular offering from US-based subsidiary Cradlepoint, acquired in late 2020, into its private 5G portfolio. Cradlepoint’s NetCloud Private Networks solution is said to be tailored to the needs of “lean IT-oriented enterprises”, including in the logistics, light manufacturing, government, large retail, healthcare and hospitality sectors. The product targets the US market via CBRS spectrum. It is available on a subscription.
It joins the Ericsson stable of private 5G products, and sits alongside Ericsson’s own private 5G product for harder-nosed Industry 4.0 sectors including manufacturing, ports, mining, energy, airports, oil and gas, available since 2021 through Ericsson channels. It also joins Cradlepoint’s Private Network Endpoints solution, which provides gateways and other hardware terminals to connect devices in private LTE and 5G networks.
Ericsson is also offering a channel for hardware and software solutions from third parties, to attach to private cellular networks. Ericsson claimed to have the “most comprehensive” and “broadest” private network portfolio in the industry. It also said the addition is a “proof point of the successful integration of Cradlepoint into Ericsson”. It quoted a forecast from IDC that the global market for private LTE/5G will top $8.3 billion in revenue in 2026, with five-year compound annual growth (CAGR) of 35.7 percent across 2022-2026.
George Mulhern, senior vice president and head of business area enterprise wireless solutions at Ericsson, and also chief executive at Cradlepoint, said: “This new launch from Cradlepoint, and its addition to Ericsson’s private networks portfolio, is another milestone in the successful integration of Cradlepoint into Ericsson. Ericsson has strengthened its leadership position in offering private cellular network solutions that address multiple use cases in enterprises of any size, and across many industries.
“Customers will benefit from our breadth of capabilities as they pursue wireless-driven digitalization and next-generation connectivity innovation. NetCloud Private Networks is specifically focused on the unique requirements of IT organizations looking for a software-defined solution that leverages their network investments, brings enterprise-class security, enables plug-n-play deployments, and is simple to manage.”
