Why businesses are turning to private 5G

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Tailored networks can offer automation and safety boosts, especially in controlled environments

The words ‘Why businesses are turning to private 5G’ with ‘private 5G’ highlighted in yellow and the other words in white, against a blurry photo of a factory floor with a large autonomous robot arm.
(Image credit: Future)

5G continues to roll out across the UK at pace, delivering high-speed data access for businesses and consumers alike. 

But while 5G alone is a step forward for connectivity, and has helped to boost data availability for businesses across the country, firms can also deploy it in more tailored approaches to help meet specific business needs.

Companies with large campuses, or those that are looking to supply the low-latency connections needed for edge computing, are increasingly investing in private 5G networks. 

In this episode, Jane and Rory are joined by Sandeep Raithatha, head of strategy, innovation, and 5G IoT at Virgin Media O2 to unpack the use cases and benefits of 5G private networks, as well as the effect they could have on the UK business landscape.

Highlights

“Where 5G private networks can come to their strength is when you start to deploy and adopt some of these more advanced use cases. So, autonomous guided vehicles often known under the acronym of AGVs, or even more recently we’ve seen … autonomous mobile robots as well.”

“I'd say the UK is definitely one of the key areas where private networks are likely to see some success and growth. Obviously, beyond the UK, the US has had a lot of success purely because of the environment and spectrum availability through technological CBRS”

“I think all businesses, across all those sectors, can really benefit from a private network. Because those use cases … whether they're driving automation, health and safety, monitoring of employees and staff, to understanding assets and your items that you might have across your businesses are all valid and important business drivers for transformation and change, regardless of the size of the organization.”

Footnotes

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Rory Bathgate
Rory Bathgate
Features and Multimedia Editor

Rory Bathgate is Features and Multimedia Editor at ITPro, overseeing all in-depth content and case studies. He can also be found co-hosting the ITPro Podcast with Jane McCallion, swapping a keyboard for a microphone to discuss the latest learnings with thought leaders from across the tech sector.

In his free time, Rory enjoys photography, video editing, and good science fiction. After graduating from the University of Kent with a BA in English and American Literature, Rory undertook an MA in Eighteenth-Century Studies at King’s College London. He joined ITPro in 2022 as a graduate, following four years in student journalism. You can contact Rory at rory.bathgate@futurenet.com or on LinkedIn.