The evolution of technology can range from incremental change all the way to disruptive transformation that was previously (usually recently) thought to be unheard of. The jump from Private 4G to Private 5G (P5G) falls closer to the disruptive part of the scale, driving new connectivity solutions with the reliability and security needed for meaningful enterprise transformation.
The adoption of P5G networks is gaining traction around the world. And so has the hype around its ability to deliver lightning-fast connectivity to consumers. P5G offers a myriad of advantages that we did not have before. And when delivered as a managed service, you are looking at a game changer for our customers and partners.
What is 5G?
The advent of 5G technology has brought forth the next generation of technology for what many in the tech world are calling “Industry 4.0” with the following innovations[i]:
- Enhanced Mobile Broadband = high data rates and traffic volumes (multi-gigabit speed)
- Ultra-Reliable Connectivity = low latency communication (1 millisecond)
- Increased Bandwidth = expanded device density (up to 1,000,000 devices per km2)
What this means for networking is that 5G technology now enables partners and customers to leverage the speed and quality of this data connectivity to change how they use mobile technology to drive their businesses forward.
Private 5G: Connecting everyone and everything
In addition, the advent of P5G now allows businesses to have even better connectivity by leveraging radio spectrum for dedicated use. This makes P5G more relevant for Enterprise applications than previous cellular technologies because it allows customers to use 5G connectivity for mission critical operations and processes. Early adopters include industries such as smart cities, manufacturing, mining, entertainment, and other sectors where wireline or existing network access technology did not provide a consistent experience for devices – especially while roaming.
As such, P5G is a perfect solution for new digital transformation use cases such as managing IoT devices in real-time, enabling Autonomous Vehicle (AV) technology for warehouses and smart cities, and delivering enhanced guest experiences in venues.
Cisco’s Private 5G solution
Cisco’s Private 5G solution consists of several key components that stand out in the market.
- First, it integrates several key Cisco solutions including the Cisco IoT Control Center and Cisco P5G Packet Core and edge hardware bundles – essential building blocks to drive transformative IoT solutions for enterprise customers.
- Second, this is a platform that allows for both flexibility and scalability to minimize investment risk through a pay-as-you-use model. This means that customers can leverage the power of P5G without making large up-front CapEx investments and ramp up as needed through a consumption-based offer.
- Third, it provides the flexibility to deliver both 5G and Wi-Fi technology to address a range of customer connectivity needs, along with simplified policy and identity management across multiple devices through the Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE).
- Finally, this offer comes to market exclusively through Cisco partners, delivering a unique opportunity to lead with their integration and managed services capabilities to drive differentiation and profitability across both P5G connectivity and enterprise IoT solutions.
I believe we have entered an era that I like to call the Age of the Partner, where successful partners will need to wear many hats to deliver a broad set of customer outcomes. Managed services providers, in particular, will need to evolve to not only deliver technology, but serve as brokers, collaborators, business process masters, and developers to meet the needs of the most complex enterprises. With the Cisco P5G offer, our initial launch partners exemplify how important a role our partners play in delivering customer outcomes – especially in new, highly complex technology spaces. With open APIs, an integration-ready cross-architecture solution, and the need to tie-in other market solutions such as spectrum and radios, this solution is a great example of how important partners are in delivering customer transformation.
Initial Launch Partner
If you didn’t catch the P5G announcement from Mobile World Congress, we have already built a key partnership with Cisco Global Gold Partner, Logicalis. We are so happy to support their ability to offer existing expertise with RAN technology and are leveraging existing relationships with Airspan and JMA to help accelerate P5G solutions for customers.
As Bob Bailkoski, Logicalis Group CEO stated:
“5G marks a milestone in wireless networking. For organizations, it opens up many new opportunities to evolve their business models and create a completely new type of digital infrastructure. We see strong demand in all types of sectors including manufacturing and mining facilities, the logistics and automotive industries, as well as higher education and the healthcare sector. As a leading Cisco Global Gold Partner, we are excited to help drive this evolution. Thanks to our deep expertise, international capability and close partnership with Cisco, we can support companies in integrating Private 5G into their enterprise networks.”
And I couldn’t agree more. As early customer opportunities – already spanning many industries and segments – come to fruition, we’ll look forward to sharing more with you soon.
Learn More about Cisco Private 5G
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[i] IEEE Spectrum
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