Category: Enterprises

5 Trends Driving Demand for Private 5G Networks

Private 5G networks and dedicated cellular networks are not new. But they hit a critical turning point in 2022, with 100s or perhaps even over 1,000 deployments for a variety of applications on in enterprise communications on enterprise campuses, industrial sites, as well as local fixed-wireless use.

All this activity shows that deployments are beginning to move beyond proof-of-concept and trials. They represent full-scale production usage in a range of verticals, from oil and gas to mining, and ports to defense.

The increase in deployments in 2022 was driven by five key underlying trends that will continue to create more demand for private 5G networks and wireless cellular networks in 2023. These trends are further explored in iBwave’s latest e-book, written by Dean Bubley of Disruptive Analysis: Top Trends in Private Networks for 2023.

With increasing demand, there will be a corresponding need for software tools that enable accurate and cost-effective design of the coverage needed to take advantage of all the benefits a private network offers.

Transition From 4G to 5G

The first underlying trend is an increasing shift by enterprises from 4G to 5G. Until recently, a variety of factors such as fragmentation of 5G bands and limited product and application availability have given 4G a competitive advantage over 5G.

But this is changing for a variety of reasons, including:

  • An increasing availability of 5G bands from regulatory authorities
  • Multiple vendors offering 5G SA cores
  • More offerings of 5G SA networks from MNOs

Switching Is Easier and More Enticing

There are also strategic shifts happening that are making it easier and more enticing for enterprises to make the switch to 5G:

  • Regulatory and spectrum-management teams in most MNOs are becoming more agile at handling localized allocations, which allows them to find unused frequencies that can be put to use in dedicated systems.
  • The device ecosystem is adopting 5G more broadly, increasing the range of offerings, while support is also increasing for 5G SA mode and a greater range of frequency options.
  • The emerging 5G Reduced Capability (RedCap) option, which optimizes 5G for lower cost IoT modules, is increasing the number of enterprises that can successfully adopt 5G.
  • Industry groups such as the CBRS Alliance are starting to certify 5G solutions, opening the market to a broader set of integrators.

Powerful mmWave Capability for Private 5G Networks

A second trend driving demand for private networks is that the potential uses of high-band or mmWave frequencies for private network applications is now being recognized.

There are numerous advantages to using mmWave and, as the private 5G market continues to mature, existing MNOs with mmWave allocations are beginning to look more closely at enterprise use cases. Some national regulators are also allowing direct access for businesses and system integrators.

Underused mmWave Spectrum Is Open for Allocation

The key advantages provided by mmWave for private network applications include:

  • More available spectrum than in mid-range bands, allowing for higher throughputs with peak speeds in the multi-Gbps range
  • Lower existing allocations in the mmWave range make allocations there less politically contentious, particularly for countries with several competing MNOs
  • True ultra-low latency deployments are easier, as there’s no need for the technical restrictions used in the mid-band to allow for more users
  • Frequencies can be allocated without impacting macro networks
  • Private network capabilities can easily be added to neutral-host indoor mmWave infrastructure, enabling one network of small cells to support multiple public networks
  • Increased interest from network and semiconductor vendors to find alternative markets given 5G’s short range
  • The maturing market is making it easier to engineer enhanced mmWave coverage

More Full-Scale Deployment

The third key trend driving demand for private networks is a transition from proof-of-concept deployments to large-scale deployments.

The move from small-scale, low-risk trials of a new and promising technology to commercial adoption has, historically, been a difficult hurdle for enterprises. Technology challenges tend to slow adoption rates. But, as those challenges are addressed, stakeholders and decision-makers tend to still be cautious about taking on potentially risky network deployments.

Maturing Ecosystem Increasing Confidence in Private 5G Networks for Enterprise Communications

However, decision-makers have more to work with today than they did before when considering full-scale deployments of private 5G networks:

  • Features are maturing, providing enterprises greater confidence in key network characteristics, such as quality, low-latency, and positioning accuracy.
  • More case studies, ROI models, and documentation have created greater confidence that the risks and value can be better known in advance.
  • A wider pool of talent is available to deploy and manage private 5G networks than ever before.
  • More deployment template models reduce the need for bespoke solutions, which can be comparatively complex and unpredictable.
  • New models for financing and commercialization like pay-as-you-grow cloud models reduce risk and enhance scalability.
  • A growing awareness and trust of private 4G and 5G is encouraging more enterprises to build on experimental deployments.

Growth of Private 5G Networks for Public Venues

There is mounting evidence that private wireless can add value in public venues. As a result, private cellular is beginning to gain more ground for these types of deployments.

This fourth trend is being driven by the:

  • Identification of specific niches and use cases where private networks can add value, such as in revenue-generating or safety-critical applications that need to be ring-fenced to avoid congestion from public Wi-Fi
  • Reduction of cost and complexity involved in deploying private cellular 4G and 5G networks
  • Growing awareness and trust of private 4G/5G among enterprise end users
  • Expansion of the ecosystem, which is enabling additional vertical applications, more support from service providers, and greater access to planning and design tools
  • Growing adoption of private cellular wireless by public venues in outdoor settings where Wi-Fi struggles
  • Increasing adoption of DAS-type systems that allow private networks to be deployed as secondary or add-ons to neutral-host platforms

Combining Wi-Fi and 5G in Private Networks

The final trend driving demand for private networks is related to the ongoing conversation about network convergence.

There is an increasing interest in integrating or converging private 4G/5G with Wi-Fi, given that many enterprise sites need both technologies. The greatest advantage of convergence appears to be partitioning, which allows for deployments that:

  • Isolate traffic and ring-fence domains, allowing each technology to handle the task it is most suited or most needed for
  • Backhaul from Wi-Fi to a private cellular wireless 4G/5G network, which can be a very useful asset, particularly where running fiber is unfeasible
  • Dedicate cellular networks for fixed-wireless access and use Wi-Fi for final device connectivity in education, healthcare, and for local government agencies
  • Enable connectivity handovers between networks using private 5G as a bridge for Wi-Fi-connected devices, creating seamless connectivity in campus-type settings

Additionally, the maturing ecosystem is making the integration of both networking technologies easier with:

  • More IoT devices capable of handling 4G, 5G, and/or Wi-Fi, and that can load-balance between multiple radios
  • The ability to offload public 5G onto private wireless cellular networks and Wi-Fi, particularly inside buildings, for devices from different MNOs or different classes of device
  • Tools that combine planning, design, operations, and security capabilities and cover multiple network types

Private 5G Networks Going From Cutting-Edge to Commonplace

When it comes to the realities of deploying a private 5G network, survey and design are critical considerations. Ensuring these networks deliver on their intended value ultimately comes down to the survey and design process. A seamless deployment of an inaccurate network is, in the end, an efficient way to implement an inefficient network.

iBwave offers a variety of flexible, modular tools for survey and design to ensure your enterprise has everything it needs to efficiently build accurate and effective private networks.

For more details on how changing trends and technology are driving the growth of private wireless worldwide, check out iBwave’s latest e-book, written by Dean Bubley of Disruptive Analysis: Top Trends in Private Networks for 2023.

Accurate Prediction Simplifies Private, In-Building 5G Network Deployments

Not too long ago, IT managers, RF engineers, system integrators, project managers, and OEMs had limited options when it came to deploying wireless networks in large warehouses and multi-floor buildings. The cellular bands were the exclusive domain of major carriers who held the licenses. To get cellular performance indoors, anyone wanting to deploy a private network had to work with individual carriers to extend macro networks to indoor spaces. In many facilities, this could be a complex and costly undertaking. As a result, the comparatively low cost and simplicity of Wi-Fi made it the go-to option for most in-building deployments where mobility rather than performance was the main requirement.

CBRS changed the game. Today, private 5G NR networks that deliver all the benefits of the most advanced cellular technologies can be deployed almost anywhere. Smaller facilities can leverage the reach, coverage, reliability, and performance of 5G in the 3.5 GHz spectrum to create seamless user experiences that go beyond the capabilities of Wi-Fi.

But, while choice is a wonderful thing, designing a private 3.5 GHz network that capitalizes on all the benefits 5G has to offer can be challenging. There’s always a risk of over-designing or under-designing the network, which can complicate deployments and add additional costs to limited budgets. The only way to effectively simplify network deployment and keep costs low is with accurate prediction of the coverage needed before the design process begins.

Inaccurate Designs Increase Cost and Reduce Performance

From a network service perspective, private 3.5 GHz networks provide several advantages over Wi-Fi indoors, including:

Increased reliability and security, which is needed to support performance-sensitive applications, such as on-site voice communications and a variety of IoT connections

Neutral host configuration capabilities, which can be leveraged to provide seamless user experiences for anyone entering the building

Greater reach and coverage compared to Wi-Fi at 5 GHz and 6 GHz, which means the same area in a building can be served with fewer base stations and access points

Potential for future network slicing, which is an exclusive 5G NR feature. A portion of the network can be dedicated to one functionality (IoT), while another portion can be dedicated to data streaming, and yet another to other functionality

To capitalize on these and other advantages a private 5G NR network offers, the network must be designed to achieve the ideal balance between cost and performance. This requires careful consideration of the same variables that impact Wi-Fi performance, such as the size of the space, the number of floors, the configuration of the coverage area, obstructions that could affect signal propagation, potential interference, dead zones, and more.

Inaccurate designs can negatively impact cost and performance. Under-designing the network can create blind spots and negate all the benefits 5G offers. Over-designing the network can complicate deployment and create more coverage and/or more interference at a higher cost compared to Wi-Fi. And the potential for error increases as the size and/or complexity of the venue increases.

Network design tools created specifically to enable the design of Wi-Fi networks simply aren’t equipped to provide the prediction accuracy needed. And design tools that offer optional 5G network modules may not provide the high degree of accuracy delivered by those specifically engineered for 5G network design.

Prediction Accuracy Enables Efficient Design and Deployment of 5G Networks

For anyone looking to achieve the right balance between cost and performance, the ideal prediction tool must be optimized for 5G networks and simple to use. Unlike carriers, IT managers, RF engineers, system integrators, project managers, and OEMs don’t need to delve deeply into RF engineering principles and processes to get their network up and running. They need features and functions that will enable them to quickly predict coverage and visualize the placement of small cells on one floor or multiple floors of a facility.

Of course, the tool must be proven to provide the prediction accuracy needed to enable the design of reliable, private 5G networks. A trial network deployed by QMC Telecom earlier this year at the Bossa Nova Mall in Brazil is a good example of how accurate prediction can be leveraged for 3.5 GHz deployments.

Designed to demonstrate the efficiency of 5G service at 3.5 GHz, the Bossa Nova Mall trial confirmed that all the benefits of 5G can be delivered in large, indoor, public spaces where multiple users and devices are vying for bandwidth and service. With a private 3.5 GHz network, Wi-Fi upgrades can be avoided, and the 5G performance needed to provide seamless user experiences indoors can be delivered easily.

The Bossa Nova Mall trial network also offered an opportunity to compare predicted and actual 5G coverage. As explained in a recent iBwave webinar, the results of the data analysis show that the accuracy of the prediction provided by iBwave Design enabled QMC Telecom to deploy a 3.5 GHZ network that met all coverage requirements.

More importantly, the analysis shows that accurate prediction modeling before design can be used to leverage the reach, coverage, reliability, and performance of 5G to go beyond the capabilities of any Wi-Fi network. And it confirms that accurate prediction can simplify and streamline the in-building network design process so that deployment is done right the first time.

iBwave Design Enables Accurate 3.5 GHz Deployments

The data from the Bossa Nova Mall trial shows that iBwave Design offers the prediction accuracy needed to simplify deployment of indoor 5G networks at 3.5 GHz. With its powerful prediction engine and advanced 3D modeling capabilities, iBwave Design goes beyond tools that have been adapted for 5G. It enables users to predict and visualize the placement of network components and cabling from floor-to-floor in any indoor venue, streamline deployment, and strike the right balance between cost and performance for any 5G indoor wireless network.

Watch the webinar to learn more about the data analysis that shows how iBwave Design prediction modeling enabled QMC Telecom to accurately design coverage for its 3.5 GHz trial deployment at the Bossa Nova Mall.

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Accurate Network Design Needed to Harness the Full Potential of Metamaterials

More coverage at less cost is the holy grail of in-building wireless network design. Whether you’re deploying an LTE network or a 5G network at 28 GHz or 3.5 GHz, the whole point of going through the site survey, prediction modeling, and design effort is to determine the ideal placement of antennas and access points to deliver the optimal coverage for an enclosed space. This overarching objective holds true for any in-building network design, whether it is for a large, multi-floor deployment in a downtown office building, a warehouse distribution center at the edge of town, or a multi-floor shopping mall.

The ideal design eliminates the risk of over-designing or under-designing the network, thereby enabling a more efficient deployment that provides the coverage needed. To date, the key variables that network designers have had to take into consideration to ensure antennas and access points provide that coverage have been the size of the space, the number of floors, the configuration of the coverage area, obstructions that could affect signal propagation, potential interference, and dead zones.

But ongoing research and development efforts with metamaterials and metasurfaces may soon throw more variables into the mix. As they move from research labs and proof of concept into widespread application, the importance of accurate prediction and design will become even more critical to providing the coverage needed to deliver high-quality, seamless user experiences cost-effectively in indoor spaces.

Engineered Materials Enable Signal Manipulation

Metamaterials have been a hot topic in microwave and RF circles for at least 20 years, primarily because of potential applications in wireless networks. These artificially engineered materials are built with microstructures known as “meta-atoms,” which are much smaller than the wavelength of an electromagnetic wave and have electromagnetic properties that are not found in naturally occurring materials.

Most metamaterial research is focused on creating Negative Index Materials (NIMs) that have a negative refraction index (NRI). These materials refract electromagnetic waves in a different direction compared to conventional materials with positive refractive properties. As a result, metamaterials with an NRI can be used to control and manipulate electromagnetic waves.

To date, metamaterials have been used in the design and construction of RF and microwave antennas to make them smaller and more powerful. But it’s their potential use as metasurfaces in construction materials for buildings that may soon affect how indoor wireless networks are designed.

More Potential Options for Signal Propagation

Research into the future applications of metamaterials points to significant potential in the creation of reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RISs). An RIS is a thin surface composed of multiple small antennas that have been created with NIMs to receive and passively re-radiate an RF or microwave signal.

In its simplest form, an RIS can be a dynamic reflectarray built with multiple omnidirectional antennas. A more elaborate implementation would be to use an RIS as a dynamically tunable metasurface, which can not only scatter and phase-shift a signal but can also have a controllable reflection angle and even polarization manipulation abilities.

A typical use case of an RIS, where it receives a signal from the transmitter and re-radiates it focused on the receiver

With an RIS, wireless signals could be altered in ways not possible with traditional MIMO arrays. The RIS could be used to keep the wireless channel well-conditioned, which increases the achievable data rate. It could also be used to mitigate the effects of Doppler spread and multipath fading. And in the future, RISs could be applied to make the use of TeraHerz signals a reality.

In short, by leveraging the full potential of metamaterials, it may soon be possible to integrate RISs in the construction of walls and ceilings to improve network coverage in office buildings, warehouses, and even shopping malls in areas where today’s antennas aren’t effective. Strategic positioning of RISs can ensure optimal coverage in dead zones, around obstructions, and even around corners.

User A is far away from the AO and has low received signal strength. User B has high received power but low rank channel. The RISs can be optimized to help in both scenarios

New Solutions Also Create New Challenges

Of course, while more propagation options can help solve many of today’s challenges with in-building network design, they can also create new challenges.

As noted in our metamaterials white paper, strict modeling of reflective metasurfaces requires full wave analysis, which is costly in terms of CPU usage. But an alternative hybrid method can be used. This method is a combination of ray tracing applied everywhere but on RIS, and a full wave analysis applied on RIS. It requires full wave simulation to get the complex radar cross section (RCS) of the RIS. The complex RCS is used to represent the RIS as a secondary radiation source in the ray traces. The final signal (electric field) distribution in the network is a summation of two field components: one due to the presence of the RCS/RIS, and the another approximated by a ray tracing algorithm, which would exist if the RIS had not been implemented.

Accurate Prediction and Design Required

As the potential uses of RISs emerge, the ability of network designers to accurately predict and design a network before deployment will be more critical than ever. Full wave electromagnetic simulation will be needed to fully capture the interaction of an incoming wave with an RIS and compute the reflected fields both in the near and the far field of the surfaces.

However, ray tracing, an asymptotic method that is widely used for propagation modeling, seems to be the most efficient way for designers to simulate and model coverage for any space, in terms of CPU usage versus prediction accuracy.

iBwave provides the right combination of elements needed to streamline the design of all indoor wireless networks and is working to support modeling of networks that leverage the capabilities of RISs. To enable accurate planning and design, iBwave Design software offers three prediction models — VPLE, COST 231, and Fast Ray Tracing — that provide different levels of accuracy for different environments. Most of our customers rely on the Fast Ray Tracing prediction algorithm, which is based on Ray Tracing and was developed by iBwave RF engineers in partnership with scholars and experts from the in-building industry.

Read the metamaterials white paper to learn more about metamaterials, RISs, and how prediction modeling based on ray tracing can be used to streamline the design of today’s and tomorrow’s in-building networks.

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