While the roll-out of 5G across the country has been in the spotlight when it comes to connectivity, there’s another technology organizations should be considering (and potentially preparing for) that can provide myriad benefits.
The adoption of Private Cellular Networks (PCNs) in Canada is still early, but implementations at a few sites in this country and in other markets demonstrate the benefits, and why creating a PCN now could make more sense for a business than waiting for greater 5G coverage.
Exclusive, reliable and secure
What’s a PCN? You might have missed this technology, which has spent the last few years in the shadow of 5G. As its name implies, a PCN provides a dedicated, private cellular network for your business and its requirements. It’s also sometimes referred to as a Wireless Private Network (WPN).
Because the network is designed for your company, it offers enhanced security, can comply with your specific corporate protocols, and can meet your specific bandwidth requirements. PCNs are often found in remote industrial environments where connectivity to a public network can be less reliable. They are also appropriate for mission-critical applications that require uninterrupted uptime.
Private networks can be deployed with 4G LTE or 5G, and as we’ll see, the benefits don’t depend on speed. The exclusive use of a PCN means more security and a reliable connection that you control. This can be attractive to industries that need to provide secure internet access over a large area, such as mining, hospitals, education campuses, factories and warehouses. Private networks are also a natural fit for smart city applications, and utility and transportation companies.
While publicly accessible cellular service can have dead spots, a private network guarantees high-quality connections in areas serviced. Private networks are also more cost-effective than legacy Wi-Fi in deployments that cover a large geographic area. In applications such as ports, mines, large manufacturing floors or distribution centres, Wi-Fi requires denser deployment of access points.
PCNs in action
The market for PCNs took off in the U.S. when the Federal Communications Commission auctioned off Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) spectrum in 2020. Carriers and telcos acquired spectrum licenses and began offering enterprise customers private wireless networks in the 3.5 GHz band.
Here in Canada, CBRS is not available. PCNs must be deployed with the help of one of the cellular carriers, who can provide the required spectrum. Some carriers offer private networks as an end-to-end managed service.
Kirkland Lake Gold last year partnered with Rogers to deploy a private 5G network in Northern Ontario to support its Detour Lake Mine operation. For this industry in particular, where work sites are remote and spread out, connectivity can be unreliable and limited. The private network offers the bandwidth required to enable applications such as autonomous hauling vehicles, while supporting workers with reliable connectivity — thereby improving efficiency, communication and worker safety.
Deployments can be found across a variety of industries. Consider a hospital, airport or manufacturing facility, for example, where there is a large area of coverage required to support IoT applications. Some other recent global deployment examples include the following:
- In 2021, the City of Las Vegas deployed what it calls the U.S.’s largest private municipal network, which covers 65 square miles, connecting city departments and students around the downtown area.
- Verizon will create a private network for The Port of Virginia, which plans to leverage the network for the possible use of autonomous over-the-road trucks to access Virginia International Terminals to drop-off and pick-up shipping containers.
- The U.S. carrier entered into a similar agreement with BlackRock, a New York-based investment company, which will replace its Wi-Fi throughout its office in New York City and leverage the new network to access tools and applications that require high bandwidth, such as virtual enhanced training, real-time edge computing and more.
- In India, Apollo Hospitals deployed a private 5G network, which they leveraged to perform the country’s first 5G driven, Artificial Intelligence (AI) guided colonoscopy trial. The image processing required for the procedure was performed in real time on the private network
- The AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas — home to the NBA’s San Antonio Spurs — plans to equip the arena with a private network to support fans and their experiences while onsite, such as offering in-seat ordering and cashless payments.
Research firm IDC has anticipated global sales of private 4G LTE/5G infrastructure will increase 400 per cent from 2019 to 2024, growing from US$945 million to US$5.7 billion.
The trajectory of the technology globally is clear, but what is its status here?
The Canadian market
The conversation about business connectivity in Canada has been dominated by 5G lately, creating the impression that only 5G connections are worth considering, even if it means waiting for greater availability for private network applications. In truth, there’s no need to wait for expanded 5G coverage to take advantage of PCNs. While a 5G-ready network is ideal to ensure an organization is prepared to benefit from the next generation technologies, a 4G LTE-enabled private network offers sufficient capacity and performance for most use cases. Indeed, 5G isn’t necessarily the right choice for every application or every business.
While 5G becomes more available to businesses, Canadian companies have options for private networks that can meet immediate needs for high-performing site connectivity. As current deployments have shown, PCNs have already delivered on their promise.
Private networks are changing the way many organizations are connecting people, places and IoT. With security and connectivity top of mind, no matter your industry, it’s time to start thinking about PCNs and whether they make sense for you.