What is a Private Cellular Network?

The need for reliable, secure, and high-performance connectivity is growing rapidly. As enterprise organizations look to enhance infrastructure and expand operations, Wi-Fi and public cellular solutions are reaching their limits.

Private Cellular Networks (PCNs) combine the control of Wi-Fi with the reliability, bandwidth, and security of cellular. This allows large organizations to provide best-in-class connectivity to any number of devices in any type of environment – even where Wi-Fi or public cellular wouldn’t work.

The end result is a faster, more reliable, and more secure network for enterprise-grade business applications.

In large areas that require a wide-area LAN, wireless connectivity solutions like Wi-Fi and public networks can create problems like high latency, the inability to upscale cost-effectively, and require high energy usage.

Private cellular networks are designed to be used by businesses with a large geographic footprint, providing focused widespread coverage to businesses and enterprises. The most common real-world cases for private cellular networks are smart cities, healthcare, manufacturing sites, warehouses and logistics, venues, and beyond.

Front-Line Devices: Security cameras, machines, computers, or sensors; any device that accepts a SIM card.

Small Cell (Access Point): Radio access points that can be deployed indoors or outdoors, and in licensed, shared, or unlicensed spectrum. Access points allow your devices like smartphones or handheld scanners to connect to your private cellular network.

User Equipment: LTE & 5G-capable routers, cell phones, and other capable devices.

Evolved Packet Core (EPC): Serves as the “Brains” of the PCN, and can be located on-premise or digitally in the cloud. The EPC is made up of different components that work together to help direct, authenticate, and prioritize network traffic.

Backhaul Router: This separates the PCN from the outside world. The firewall only lets in devices that have the SIM cards specific to your network.

Spectrum Access System (SAS): Applicable to CBRS networks and acts as a traffic cop for the three types of spectrum that can be used for PCNs (licensed, shared, and unlicensed.) If spectrum isn’t being used by one tier, the SAS securely facilitates access without interference.

Coverage: Because private 5G and LTE cellular radios reach much further than Wi-Fi access points, private networks have the unique flexibility to effectively cover small or large areas while minimizing hardware requirements. Placing cellular access points on-site allows companies to mimic a standard public cellular network while having the visibility and control of Wi-Fi.

Cost-effective: Compared to Wi-Fi, fewer access points are required due to the superior coverage capabilities. Improved network reliability prevents expensive downtime that can result in productivity losses or worker safety incidents. When used in the same area, Wi-Fi was found to be 2-4x more expensive compared to PCN.