5G private networks hold enormous potential to reshape industries, and interest is intensifying as it will be an important part of the digital transformation of industries, supporting new deployments spanning market segments such as enterprises, factories, ports, cities, and more.
Qualcomm Technologies is at the forefront of 5G, and private networks are no exception. Our latest tech innovations and partner initiatives enable end-to-end 5G private networks by bringing powerful 5G performance together with streamlined deployment and operation. In this blog post, we will take a closer look at some of our latest contributions to 5G private network tech and ecosystem enablement designed to take deployments from months to minutes, accelerating the myriad of benefits modern network deployments have to offer, spanning market segments.
As demonstrated by a number of recent announcements, we’re closing the gap between 5G private network potential and reality. What does this mean? Imagine the potential of fully automated warehouses and manufacturing facilities built on ultra-responsive and ultra-reliable connections. Imagine healthcare facilities, typically plagued with poor connectivity, where the providers have unfettered and ultra-secure mission critical connectivity, while patients/guests have partitioned access to broadband for entertainment while in recovery. Imagine new city services, retail experiences, port automation. The 5G private network opportunity is massive, though, challenges remain which risks slowing adoption, which we view as an opportunity to innovate.
Challenges to 5G private networks largely revolve around complexity. This complexity is driven by a number of factors including, difficulty customizing for specific needs/use cases, the significant technical expertise planning, deployment and management required. What the industry needs is a pre-integrated solution with multi-vendor choice, which can easily be deployed and managed and is ready for vertical specific use cases.
Fortunately, Qualcomm Technologies’ contributions to the 5G private networks arena are not singular, but the culmination of several RAN and ecosystem initiatives that together deliver a powerful and comprehensive foundation for a new era of private networks, harnessing powerful 5G connectivity and overcoming practical deployment challenges.
To accelerate the benefits of private networks and maximize the potential that 5G brings to this business case, streamlined planning, plug & play deployments, and automated operations will be key — this is where our innovations are focused. Let’s look at some of the key factors for private networks and how our 5G technology is making it possible.
The RAN factor
Private networks will be built on a foundation of high performance, reliable and architecturally flexible Radio Access Networks (RAN). Private networks will leverage macro and small cells, with small cells growing in importance due to requirements for high performance, localized capacity (e.g., indoor in capacity vs. outdoor in). Qualcomm 5G RAN Platforms and 5G private networks are an exceptional match, meeting the challenging power, cost, and size requirements for dense RAN deployments indoors and outdoors, from small cells to macro cells.
The automation and management factor
Powerful RAN tech and equipment is primed to get your private network up and running — now what? How will it be deployed and managed, or optimized for specific verticals? This is where our recently announced Qualcomm Private Network RAN Automation Technology comes in, designed to provide a one-stop solution for 5G private RAN planning, deployment, and automated operations. This cloud-based network management technology is designed to alleviate system complexity, reduce deployment time, simplify network management, and increase ease-of-use for customers across all industries.
The ecosystem factor
5G private network equipment will not be homogenous. Devices, RAN equipment, Core networks, and more across a multi-vendor landscape, will need to work together to reduce roadblocks to deployments by network operators and system integrators alike. This is why we launched a 5G Private Network Partner Ecosystem Program together with our automation platform discussed earlier. This program brings together end-to-end, pre-integrated 5G private network solutions ready for vertical-specific use cases. This validation of end-to-end performance – device to RAN to core network – in a heterogeneous network is a big win for the industry.
The Qualcomm Technologies factor
Our 5G tech did not become world-renowned overnight. Our significant and persistent 5G investments span mobile and infra, standards, and more. Who better to deliver powerful 5G performance, help reduce cost and break down barriers to delivering the 5G private networks of the future? See what we do next.
Qualcomm Robotics & Intelligent Robot Technology
Qualcomm Private Network RAN Automation, Qualcomm FSM, and Qualcomm 5G RAN Platform are products of Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. and/or its subsidiaries.
