Latest report: Is 5G private network a hero or a monster?

Whose product is 5G private network? A new report from market research firm Omdia says some companies deploying private networks feel like they are experimenting in this area. According to Omdia's interviews with pioneers in private network deployment, they said their suppliers are learning from them at their expense. Some worry that the result will be a "Frankenstein" 5G that is difficult to manage.

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Covert Operations

Omdia's LTE and 5G Private Network Tracker shows that there are currently 230 private network trials in 34 countries, of which only 90 have been publicly announced private network launches. However, in fact, there are many more live projects underway in secret.

Enterprises want their vendors to stop tinkering with technology. Instead, they should work harder to build specific private network investment cases. However, a common complaint against equipment vendors and telcos is that they don’t understand the challenges, business processes and KPIs of vertical industries to identify opportunities.

Dangerous times

Camille Mendler, chief analyst for enterprise services at Omdia, said it is a dangerous time for enterprises to feel dissatisfied. In a recent Omdia survey, a quarter of enterprises said they would prefer to go it alone in 5G private networks due to a lack of trust. In addition to the enterprises themselves, the availability of independent unlicensed 5G (5G NR-U) has also caught the imagination of many potential 5G private network providers. To build trust, service providers must learn the language of specific industries and understand their culture and work rhythm. Building an ecosystem of vertical collaboration among experts will help.

But that’s not all: the digital experience is also crucial. In the post-pandemic world, the enterprise customer will be a sophisticated buyer of digital services, and a demanding one at that. Soon, 5G private networks will be just another option in the Network as a Service (NaaS) market. And who will the providers be? The fact that less than a quarter of enterprises are satisfied with the service portal of their main network provider should cause some enterprises to be alarmed.