Author: Rajeesh Radhakrishnan

Team Lead Sales Engineering, iBwave Solutions Rajeesh Radhakrishnan has over 18 years of experience in the telecom industry. At iBwave he is responsible for Presales and Engineering for India and Subcontinents. He also manages a customer support team of five people in India. As an expert in the field of indoor wired and wireless, Rajeesh is experienced in delivering projects covering multiple technologies and solutions such as Active/Passive DAS, FTTX, Wi-Fi, Small cell, and public safety. Rajeesh joined iBwave’s Sales engineering team in December 2014 and received iBwave sales engineering awards for 2016,2017and 2018. Prior to iBwave, Rajeesh worked for a leading OEM, where he lead the RF Engineering team, delivering complex turnkey projects for multi-operator multi-technology telecommunication systems. Rajeesh played a key role for adopting iBwave solutions into the Reliance JIO the biggest 4G&5G operator in India. Rajeesh helped iBwave become a trusted advisor for the Indian telecom operator, enterprise segments and also with India's telecom regulatory authority. Rajeesh is an electrical engineer, he is also holds BICSI and Light brigade certifications.

Making Smart Cities Smarter: The Role of Private Wireless Networks

Smart cities are rapidly becoming a reality, with many municipalities across the world investing in digital infrastructure to increase efficiency and improve citizen experiences. To reach their fullest potential, smart cities must leverage private wireless networks to provide high-speed data connectivity between critical applications.

Understanding the Need for Private Wireless Networks in Smart Cities

Smart cities are rapidly transforming the way we live, enabling greater efficiency and improved citizen experiences. For smart cities to reach their full potential, they require a reliable and secure wireless infrastructure that can meet the demands of its users. Public wireless networks can be supplemented with private wireless networks to provide the necessary performance and scalability for smart cities to thrive.

Public wireless networks, such as those used by cellular providers or public Wi-Fi hotspots, are often inadequate in supporting new technology and applications in smart cities. These networks can suffer from bandwidth limitations and interference due to an abundance of users in the same area competing for spectrum resources. Additionally, these networks are unable to provide a secure connection with enterprise-grade security features such as encryption and authentication protocols.

Private wireless networks address these challenges by providing dedicated spectrum resources that enable high-performance data transfer speeds and low latency connections between connected devices.

The use cases of private wireless networks in smart cities include:

remote monitoring of traffic conditions or public safety sensors
real-time tracking of municipal vehicles
access control systems for buildings or parking lots
video surveillance systems
machine-to-machine communication (M2M) for automated processes such as waste management

As well as many more applications requiring reliable connectivity with minimal latency requirements.

The emergence of 5G technology brings with it opportunities to deploy private wireless networks at lower costs than ever before. With new advances in hardware technology, private LTE solutions have become cost effective enough for small businesses and municipalities. As 5G continues to mature over time, its flexibility will enable these solutions to expand their capabilities far beyond what is currently possible on 4G/LTE technology. This flexibility further increases the value proposition for private networks within smart city initiatives moving forward.

Scalability is also an important factor when considering private wireless network solutions for smart cities. Private networks must be able to grow alongside the needs of the city itself over time. As new applications continue to emerge within smart cities across the globe — from autonomous driving initiatives to augmented reality applications—having a scalable network solution that can accommodate additional devices will be essential for these projects to succeed long term.

Private wireless networks offer a range of benefits that make them ideal solutions for supporting new technology and mission-critical applications in smart cities across the world today.

Private networks can be a helpful addition to city development because of their enhanced performance capabilities, scalability options that allow them to keep up with future needs, and lower deployment costs. The secure connections private networks provide between connected devices with enterprise-grade security features will allow for improved smart city infrastructure in the future.

Types of Private Wireless Network Solutions Available for Smart Cities

Smart cities are increasingly relying on private wireless networks to provide the connectivity required for their various applications. Private wireless networks offer dedicated spectrum resources, enhanced performance capabilities, scalability, and secure connections with enterprise-grade security features.

For smart cities, there are four main types of private wireless network solutions available:

LTE (long term evolution)
5G (fifth generation) cellular networks
Wi-Fi 6 (IEEE 802.11ax)
Mesh networks

Each of these solutions offers its own advantages and disadvantages when it comes to speed, coverage, scalability, security, cost, and other considerations.

LTE for Smart City Networks

LTE is the most widely used type of private wireless network solution for smart cities due to its low cost and extensive coverage area. LTE can provide data speeds up to 10 Mbps with low latency rates and is also capable of supporting a wide range of devices from different manufacturers.

However, LTE networks can be prone to signal interference in areas where there are a lot of users or multiple sources of radio frequency signals.

5G for Smart City Networks

5G provides much higher speeds than LTE — up to 1 Gbps — as well as increased capacity for handling more users at once and lower latency rates than LTE. Higher speeds provided by 5G makes it ideal for applications that require high bandwidth, such as streaming video or virtual reality experiences in smart cities. Additionally, 5G offers greater flexibility in deployment options compared to earlier generations of cellular technology.

On the downside, 5G technology has not yet been widely adopted by many countries due to its complex infrastructure requirements and the expensive equipment costs associated with deploying it.

Wi-Fi 6 for Smart City Networks

Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) is another option for providing private wireless networks in smart cities that offer higher data transfer speeds than previous Wi-Fi protocols while also being more power efficient than previous versions. In addition to higher data transfer rates compared to earlier Wi-Fi protocols, Wi-Fi 6 also offers improved security features such as encryption which help protect against unauthorized access attempts into the network itself or individual devices connected to it.

However, Wi-Fi 6 still requires significant investment in both equipment costs and time spent on setup before it can be used effectively in a smart city environment.

Mesh Networks for Smart Cities

Finally, mesh networks make use of multiple nodes that communicate wirelessly with each other instead of relying on an internet connection from a single source like traditional private wireless networks do. This type of network allows for easier scalability since new nodes can be added easily without having to worry about compatibility issues between different equipment manufacturers, making them ideal for large scale deployments across entire towns or regions. They also offer improved reliability since if one node goes down, traffic can be rerouted through another node seamlessly.

The major disadvantage, however, is that they tend to have lower data transfer speeds due to all the nodes communicating with each other at once.

Overall, private wireless networks play an important role in enabling smart city initiatives by providing faster connections, better coverage areas, improved security measures, greater scalability options, and cost savings over traditional wired networking solutions. Different types of solutions are available depending on specific needs, but the resilience provided by these solutions ensures reliable communications even during times when traditional wired networking may not be possible.

Key Considerations for Implementing Private Wireless Networks in Smart Cities

As the demand for private wireless networks grows in smart cities, it is important to be aware of the key considerations when implementing such solutions. Private wireless networks provide greater speed, coverage, scalability, and security than traditional wired networking solutions. However, designing a network with sufficient capacity to meet the needs of the smart city is important.

Choosing the right network technology is also critical. LTE provides an affordable solution with extensive coverage area, while 5G offers much higher speeds and increased capacity. Wi-Fi 6 (IEEE 802.11ax) offers faster data transfer speeds and improved security features; mesh networks are easier to scale and have improved reliability. It’s important to balance cost and flexibility in selecting a solution that meets the present and future demands of the smart city’s infrastructure.

Scalability should also be taken into consideration when planning for private wireless networks in smart cities. As new applications emerge within a city’s infrastructure, having a scalable network solution that can accommodate additional devices will be essential for success. If there isn’t enough capacity or flexibility built into the system from the start, problems may arise as more users join or as traffic increases over time.

Reliability and coverage are also important considerations when designing a private wireless network for a smart city. Breaks or dead spots in coverage could lead to disruptions in service that can affect citizens’ quality of life and businesses’ bottom-line performance. It’s important to plan for adequate coverage in all areas where public safety services are needed or where citizens may need access to internet services.

Security needs to be considered when implementing private wireless networks into smart cities’ infrastructures. Selecting appropriate protocols for authentication mechanisms is essential since data breaches can have far-reaching consequences if not adequately protected against malicious actors. With hackers continually finding ways around standard measures used by public networks, it becomes even more important for private wireless networks used in intelligent urban environments to make sure their security measures remain up to date.

Implementing private wireless networks into smart cities requires careful consideration of various factors including choosing an appropriate network technology and ensuring adequate coverage and scalability to reap all its benefits without compromising on security protocols or reliability issues.

Conclusion

The evolution of smart cities provides a unique opportunity to revolutionize urban living with private wireless networks. These systems are designed to provide dedicated spectrum resources, enhanced performance capabilities, scalability, and secure connections with enterprise-grade security features.

Through careful planning and investment in this technology, municipalities can take advantage of its many benefits while ensuring that citizens remain safe from malicious actors on public networks.

The potential for private wireless networks in smart cities is significant. Private networks offer access to high-speed internet connections and can increase productivity for businesses and improve public safety initiatives such as emergency response systems. Moreover, citizens can enjoy greater convenience and improved quality of life in their daily lives. 5G technology stands out as a particularly attractive option due to its flexibility and cost-effectiveness.

When planning for the implementation of private wireless networks in smart cities, there are several key considerations: selecting the correct network technology, making sure that the system is adequately scalable and secure, and having enough capacity to accommodate additional devices as new applications emerge within the city.

With proper planning and investment in this technology, smart cities can reap significant rewards from their use of private wireless networks and can provide a more efficient, connected, and secure environment overall.

iBwave delivers the simplest and most reliable solution for planning, designing, and delivering private, high-performance networks for smart cities and beyond. Request a demo to learn more about how iBwave can help you design your next wireless network project.

Building a Private Network: Step by Step

In today’s digitally driven world, establishing a private network is a strategic move for many enterprises. The demand for seamless, secure, and reliable connectivity has led organizations to explore the benefits of owning and controlling their network infrastructure. This comprehensive guide will take you through the process of building a private network, emphasizing the significance of each step.

Understanding Private Networks

Before delving into the steps of building a private network, let’s clarify what exactly a private network entails. A private network, in the realm of wireless communication, is an exclusive network infrastructure owned, operated, and managed by a single entity, typically an organization or enterprise. These networks differ significantly from public networks like Wi-Fi hotspots or cellular networks.

Why Enterprises Choose Private Networks

Enhanced Security: Security is paramount in the digital age. Private networks offer a heightened level of security by encrypting data transmission, mitigating the risks of unauthorized access and data breaches.
Reliable Connectivity: Private networks allow organizations to maintain control over network traffic, ensuring consistent, reliable connectivity even in high-demand scenarios.
Low Latency: For applications requiring minimal delay, such as real-time video conferencing and industrial automation, private networks can be optimized for low-latency communication.
Customization and Control: With private networks, enterprises enjoy complete control over network design, configuration, and management, enabling tailor-made solutions to meet specific needs.

Read about the importance of Private 5G for Enterprises in our blog!

Key Components for Effective Deployment

Successful deployments of private networks demand meticulous planning and execution. Essential components and considerations include:

Spectrum Allocation: Allocate the appropriate frequency spectrum to your private network to prevent interference and maximize performance.
Infrastructure Investment: Invest in high-quality network equipment, including access points, switches, and routers, to support your network’s capacity and coverage requirements.
Security Measures: Implement robust security protocols, such as firewalls, intrusion detection systems, and encryption, to safeguard your network from potential threats.
Scalability: Design a network that can easily accommodate future growth, ensuring that it remains adaptable and cost-effective.

Main Use Cases and Verticals

Private networks find applications across various industries and verticals:

Mining: Private networks in mining optimize operations, providing real-time data, safety, and control in remote and rugged environments.
Manufacturing: In manufacturing, private networks support automation, process efficiency, and quality control, ensuring seamless production processes.
Energy: Private networks in the energy sector enhance grid management, enable smart meters, and bolster renewable energy integration.
Oil & Gas: In the oil & gas industry, private networks ensure secure communications, asset tracking, and monitoring in remote and hazardous locations.
Education: Educational institutions benefit from private networks by delivering high-speed internet access and supporting e-learning initiatives.
Healthcare: Private networks in healthcare enable secure patient data management, telemedicine, and real-time communication among healthcare professionals.
Transportation & Logistics: The logistics and transport industry is transforming as a result of a wide variety of industry trends and challenges. These drive demand for 5G both directly and indirectly.

Step-by-Step Guide to Building a Private Network

1. Site Survey: The Foundation

A site survey is pivotal for private network success. It involves a comprehensive assessment of the physical environment, including aspects like building layout, materials used, and potential sources of interference. The data collected during this critical phase forms the bedrock upon which the entire network deployment rests. It ensures that subsequent design decisions are well-informed, guaranteeing that the network meets the exacting requirements for both coverage and performance.

2. Evaluation/Feasibility: Setting Realistic Expectations

Before taking the leap into network deployment, it’s essential to conduct a feasibility study. This study is a reality check for your private network project. It takes into account various factors, including budget constraints, regulatory requirements, and the availability of skilled personnel. By conducting this in-depth analysis, you can make informed decisions and set realistic expectations for your project’s scope and timeline.

3. Network Design: The Heart of the Project

The network design phase is where the magic happens. It’s the heart of your project, where you define the architecture, topology, and capacity of your private network. During this critical phase, the careful placement of access points, antennas, and other network components is meticulously planned. The goal is to ensure not only optimal coverage but also peak performance. A well-thought-out network design sets the stage for achieving your connectivity goals and lays the foundation for seamless network operations.

4. Cost Calculation: A Clear Budget

Budgeting is a crucial aspect of private network deployment. It’s essential to calculate the total cost of ownership (TCO) accurately. This includes accounting for equipment costs, installation expenses, ongoing maintenance, and operational costs. Having a well-defined budget is not just about financial planning; it’s about securing the necessary funding and allocating resources effectively. It ensures that your private network project remains on track, both financially and operationally.

5. Network Deployment: Turning Plans into Reality

After meticulous planning, it’s time to turn your network design into a tangible reality. During the deployment phase, you’ll install and configure network equipment as per the design plan. This is the hands-on phase where the blueprint comes to life. It’s imperative that all components function correctly, and the network meets the specified performance criteria. Effective network deployment is the bridge that connects planning to real-world functionality.

6. Testing: Ensuring Reliability

Comprehensive testing is the litmus test for your private network. It’s not enough to have a network; you must ensure it performs flawlessly. Testing covers various aspects, including coverage, capacity, and reliability under different conditions. It’s during this phase that any issues are identified and addressed promptly. Thorough testing guarantees that your network is not just functional but reliable and capable of meeting the demands placed upon it.

7. Monitoring and Maintenance: Sustaining Excellence

Network deployment is not the end; it’s a continuous journey. Once your private network is operational, it’s crucial to establish a routine for monitoring and maintenance. Regularly monitoring network performance, addressing issues promptly, and applying updates and security patches are all part of sustaining a secure and reliable network. This ongoing vigilance ensures that your network remains in peak condition, delivering the excellence it was designed for.

Leveraging iBwave for Network Excellence

As you embark on the journey of building a private network, consider the invaluable support provided by iBwave, a leading expert in wireless network survey and design. iBwave offers high-quality tools and software that simplify the network design and survey process, elevating the accuracy and efficiency of your network deployment.

By utilizing iBwave’s solutions, you can ensure that your private network is designed and implemented to the highest standards, bolstering your confidence in its connectivity capabilities. You can either use iBwave Private Networks to seamlessly design your Private LTE, 5G and Wi-Fi Networks or iBwave Design for designing more complex venues! With iBwave, you get everything you need to plan and deliver reliable indoor and outdoor campus private networks under one roof. Learn more about our solutions here!

Conclusion

Building a private network demands meticulous planning and execution, with each step playing a pivotal role in its success. Private networks offer enhanced security, reliability, low latency, and customization, making them an ideal choice for various industries and applications. Whether you operate in manufacturing, healthcare, education, utilities, or any other sector, a well-designed private network can revolutionize your connectivity capabilities, supporting your enterprise’s growth.

Remember that iBwave’s advanced tools and software significantly streamline the network design and survey process, ensuring the highest quality results for your private network deployment. Armed with the right approach and the right tools, your private network will become a formidable asset, providing the connectivity essential for thriving in today’s digital age.
Remember that iBwave’s advanced tools and software significantly streamline the network design and survey process, ensuring the highest quality results for your private network deployment. Armed with the right approach and the right tools, your private network will become a formidable asset, providing the connectivity essential for thriving in today’s digital age.

Visit our blog page to learn more about wireless networks and how to design them efficiently!

What are the International Differences in Private Networks?

Though private 4G/LTE and 5G deployments are happening around the world, there are substantial differences in band availability by region. This aligns with differences in how different geographies make use of private networks. For example, Chile and Australia rely on private networks to support mining operations in remote areas. Other countries see more deployment in ports and airports, while Germany is focused on manufacturing use cases.

As a result, there is a highly fragmented international private network ecosystem. This is beginning to change, as much of this fragmentation is simply a characteristic of early markets. As more private deployments occur, much of this fragmentation should begin to subside.

But it will be an ongoing process. In the meantime, network designers in all regions need design software with databases that support the bands available in their geography.

Knowing Local Frequency Band Availability Is Crucial

It is crucial for enterprises looking to deploy a private network, whether 4G/LTE or 5G, to know which bands are available in their country. This is because the available bands will determine both hardware and software requirements.

On the hardware side, Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) are likely to only have equipment capable of supporting the locally available bands. An enterprise that attempts to deploy a private network in an alternate band is probably going to have to pay significantly more for the hardware, as equipment like antennas, amplifiers, or filters won’t be available from local OEMs.

Localized Spectrum Availability

The table below provides a few examples of locally licensed spectrum availability by geography:

Country	Spectrum bands	Licensing model
U.S.	3.55-3.7 GHz	Tiered licensing and dynamic access via automated SAS (Spectrum Access System) providers. Priority Access Licenses were auctioned on a county level basis. General Authorized Access is widely usable.
Germany	3.7-3.8 GHz	Reserved for localized private network licensing, either with 4G or 5G equipment. Licensees can request rights for specific locations from the national regulator – typically for campus-sized facilities.
France	2.6 GHz 3.8-4.2 GHz	40 MHz section of the 2.6 GHz band has been made available for critical communications and industrial broadband use. New use of local licenses in Band 77 is evolving and may be extended.
UK	3.8-4.2 GHz 1.8 GHz 2.3 GHz	The 3.8-4.2 GHz band is available for local 5G use, subject to protecting incumbent licensees. There are also small allocations at 1.8 GHz and 2.3 GHz. Another class of licenses is available for agreed secondary reuse of existing MNO bands in specific locations where they are unused.
Japan	4.6-4.9 GHz	Local 5G licenses.
Australia	1.8 GHz	30 MHz set aside for enterprise and community groups.
Finland	2.3 GHz 26 GHz	Local licenses for industrial networks and other use cases.
Chile	2.6 GHz	Local networks are widely used for mining. Also, the participation of MNOs allows the use of national-licensed bands.
Denmark	3.7 GHz	Leasing from MNOs is possible, albeit rare.
Canada	Various bands possible or under consultation	Remote areas have industrial SPs with various licenses around 700-950 MHz, but Canada also considering CBRS-type models.
Taiwan	4.8 GHz
China	Various bands with MNO or government permission	Common participation of China Mobile and other MNOs in industrial projects, with government support on spectrum availability.

Source: Disruptive Analysis

It’s also worth noting that there are signs band availability will be changing as early as 2023/2024, as a result of:

India: Ongoing discussion and debate between the telecommunications industry, government, and other stakeholders over rules and spectrum allocation for private 5G (P5G)

Europe: Talks of opening bands from 3.8-4.2 GHz, as well as plans to update the European Union’s 5G action plan for the upcoming digital decade

China: Signs of direct allocation increasing, particularly in the 6 GHz band, where previously allocation has been dominated by Mobile Network Operators (MNOs)

Canada: Examining 3.0-4.0 GHz range availability, though it lacks an equivalent to the U.S.’s Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS)

Middle East: Looking at bands in the 4.0-4.2 GHz range, with more movement anticipated in 2023 (including the UAE and Saudi Arabia)

South Korea: Increasing its emphasis on private 5G, including solutions in the 4.7 GHz range and into mmWave at 28 GHz (Samsung aims to be a major participant globally and has support from the government, including with P5G)

Choose the Right Design Software

In this changing environment, network designers will need equipment that operates at the correct frequencies, but they will also need design software capable of simplifying designs for any of those frequencies. As such, when choosing network design software, it’s important to consider the band allocation available in the country that the network, or networks, are ultimately going to be in. Particularly for multinational enterprises, software that supports a broad variety of hardware built for different network frequencies will be key to ensuring efficient and effective network design.

Wi-Fi 6E/7 and Global Allocation Variations:

Another area of difference around the world is in the allocation of the 6 GHz band for unlicensed use, and especially for Wi-Fi 6E/7. Some countries, including the U.S., Canada, and Brazil, have released the entire band spectrum, while others have only allocated part of it. Throughout 2023 and into 2024, we will also see the launch of automated frequency coordination (AFC) for outdoor use, which will help ensure non-interference of devices operating in the 6 GHz spectrum.

While Wi-Fi and private 4G/5G are broadly complementary in use cases, there is some overlap and substitution: the same will be true for Wi-Fi 6E/7 and private 6G. Differing allocations by country on 6 GHz may drive medium-term differences, and the outcome of the World Radiocommunication Congress at the end of 2023 is one to watch closely.

iBwave Supports Private Network Deployments Globally

iBwave enables the design of wireless networks in most bands for deployments practically anywhere with no issues. Our solution allows you to design wireless networks for a variety of use cases, from a factory in Ohio to an office in Japan.

In addition, we’ve added frequency bands for Europe, APAC and Latin America to the existing CBRS and 3.5-3.7 GHz bands in the U.S. and Canada in iBwave Private Networks software. With our easy-to-use solution, you can accelerate the design of private LTE/5G and Wi-Fi networks and efficiently deliver the most reliable networks that enterprises can rely on. Future releases will add more bands to our Private Networks software to support more countries and regions.

Frequency Calculator in iBwave Private Networks

Our solutions include a suite of powerful features that make it easy for designers to:

Design from a database of vendor-modeled network components, including small cells, aps, cables, controllers, routers, and more

Calibrate prediction with survey results

Run key project reports

Model venues in advanced 3D with AutoCAD import

With a complete database of the leading OEM equipment available in most regions, iBwave delivers the most reliable solution for planning, designing, and delivering private, high-performance, 4G/LTE and 5G networks anywhere in the world. Advanced and powerful features such as the Fast Ray Tracing Prediction Engine, Prediction Calibration, Inclined Surface Modeling, and Attenuation by Frequency ensure the network you design functions exactly as intended.

Plus, cloud connectivity via iBwave Unity — our network and project management solution —keeps your entire company aligned and ensures seamless integration between all iBwave solutions. And advanced report generation features ensure that iBwave can meet all your present and future network needs.

For more information, take a look at the full breakdown of our wireless network design solutions — iBwave Design and iBwave Private Networks.

And for more insights into the changing landscape for private networks, download our e-book!