The business arm of UK-based operator Virgin Media O2, owned by Liberty Global and Telefónica, is offering a Nokia-made private standalone 5G (5G SA) network-and-compute system in a portable hold-all for “businesses of all sizes”. The logic is to make private cellular accessible to the broader small- and medium-sized enterprise (SME) market in the UK for the first time, instead of just to big firms with deep pockets and cautious 5G testbeds.
The pair called the new 5G bundle a “plug-and-play” edge system that can be put-live with a “flick of a switch”. Virgin Media O2 Business said it is the first UK operator to offer a portable and commercial private 5G SA network. It has so far devised and deployed the product twice, following initial trials, including at Telefónica’s innovation arm Wayra – which has been “using the network since last summer” to showcase private 5G to “small businesses”.
The solution uses Nokia’s flagship Digital Automation Cloud (DAC) and Mission Critical Industrial Edge (MXIE) solutions, which have seen the Finnish firm establish an early (not notable) lead in the private networking market, and the Industry 4.0 end of it particularly. Virgin Media O2 said it is the first UK carrier, specifically, to integrate the MXIE edge-componentry with DAC as an out-of-the-box private 5G offer.
The solution is “small but mighty”, said a press note, and easy for enterprises with little experience of cellular, and little desire or resources to invest in new expertise. “With a network that can be easily used and activated, not just by telecoms engineers, the product enables businesses of all sizes to access private connectivity. This means that organisations from tech start-ups to large companies will be able to tap into a secure 5G network quickly.”
Nokia explained the all-edge logic for critical industry apps. “With on-premise edge-cloud capabilities, enterprises can process data at the source in real-time, meaning business-critical applications do not need to communicate back to an application in the public cloud. This removes the complexity and economic hurdles associated with mission-critical networking, meaning the solution can support digital transformation for businesses across sectors,” it said.
It cited manufacturing, construction, and healthcare as key target markets for Virgin Media O2; it cited cross-fertlised Industry 4.0 applications such as IoT, robotics, AI, and AR/VR. UK startup Mobilus Labs, an organisation using advanced voice technology to enable industrial teams to communicate in environments with extreme noise (85 dB+), was named as an early trialist at the Wayra test centre in London.
The statement said: “To ensure safe interactions between people and devices on sites like construction, manufacturing and healthcare locations, Mobilus Labs requires fast internet speeds and secure connections which private 5G networks can provide. Further trials with companies offering products ranging from VR applications to IoT services have already shown benefits including high reliability, enhanced data security, and ultra-low latency.”
The press statement was attended by a bunch of quotes, as follows. Tony Blackburn, chief technology officer at Mobilus Labs, said: “The portable 5G standalone private network will unlock access to super-fast internet connectivity across industrial sites. Having trialled [this] solution, we believe it will enable mobiTALK, our push-to-talk smart phone application, to offer a seamless customer experience.”
Jo Bertram, managing director at Virgin Media O2 Business, said: “Britain is a hub for innovation, so it’s crucial that companies here can access the connectivity needed to create new experiences for customers. From start-ups to large enterprises, our latest network solution will enable 5G trials and deployment without the time or cost of building a whole network. Removing barriers, like location and cost, to ensure that businesses get the connection they need.”
Phil Siveter, chief executive at Nokia in the UK and Ireland, said: “We have developed DAC and MXIE [products] to help enterprises achieve their economic, environmental, and operational goals in the most intuitive way. This private wireless network delivers on high resilience, performance, and security as part of the OT edge, helping to accelerate enterprise adoption of OT transformation.”
Bruno Moraes, managing director at Wayra UK, said: “This plug-and-play private network unlocks reliable and low-cost connectivity for those industries whenever and wherever they need it, which is game-changing. In partnership with Virgin Media O2, we are collaborating with corporate customers and startups in these areas to test this network and build new products on the foundation of new levels of connectivity.”
