Fujitsu is taking an all-in-one approach to private wireless, including a managed service offering, to drive adoption from enterprise and industry

Communications service providers (CSPs) and network equipment vendors, both cooperatively and independently, have been gradually making inroads into the private wireless market. The high-level goal, particularly in regions with dedicated spectrum available, is to position private wireless as a superior alternative to familiar Wi-Fi systems, and to demonstrate its value as the foundation for enterprise digital transformation. 

Fujitsu has been working in the private wireless space for some time. During Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Ryan Pettijohn, manager of network solutions and integration with Fujitsu Network Communications, highlighted three key advantages private wireless has over Wi-Fi, particularly in the context of using the 3.5 GHz CBRS spectrum band in the U.S. 

First, “Coverage—with the licensed-by-regulation spectrum, we’re able to broadcast our transmit power at up to 50 times the power of Wi-Fi. Second is predictable operation. And then the third is we’re able to leverage the…3GPP built-in security framework.” 

At the show, Fujitsu demonstrated its end-to-end private wireless systems for CBRS which includes an all-in-one, integrated solution that’s customizable for particular end users and environments; Spectrum Access System (SAS) connectivity; RF design and deployment services, and operations and maintenance support. That is all available as a managed service for customers preferring an opex-focused financial model. 

From the enterprise perspective, Pettijohn said the goal is to make private wireless as easy as Wi-Fi so adoption isn’t hampered by the need for organizations to develop in-house expertise in cellular systems. “What we consistently hear from [customers] is private wireless, it’s got to be easy to deploy and integrate into existing systems—it can’t be too onerous, it can’t be too complex to operate and maintain, and it has to make sense financially. We’ve done a lot of work to…address those concerns.” 

Pettijohn said Fujitsu was seeing the most adoption in the manufacturing sector “because they tend to have indoor spaces with difficult RF propagation environments that don’t lend themselves to many other technologies, and often [they] have large outdoor spaces as well. It’s a good fit for private wireless.” 

Importantly, he said, current engagements aren’t just about selling private wireless, but more so about using private wireless as a foundational connectivity layer to support a wide range of value-add applications. 

“The connectivity provides the ability to connect machinery and sensors and collect data and, over the top, we’re able to provide analytics, AI, Industry 4.0 applications, things of that nature, that just…allow businesses to make faster, more informed decisions.”  

Bottom line, Pettijohn said, “The goal is to make everything as easy as Wi-Fi that everyone is familiar with.”