Private 5G networks to boost connectivity

Some Australians are likely to experience 5G at work before they do as a consumer, as private 5G networks are being touted as the next big thing for connectivity in commercial settings.

An aerial view of the Port of Southampton where Verizon's first private 5G network was deployed.

Workers on mining sites, manufacturing centres and logistics hubs may use 5G in a working capacity before they do as consumers, as private 5G networks are being touted as the next big thing for connectivity in commercial settings.

The rise of private 5G networks is set to take Australia by storm this year, according to Verizon business chief Rob Le Busque, who said the US telco was in talks with a number of local businesses to establish networks.

Behind the demand for private 5G is a push for networks with lower latency that can handle companies running IoT devices and AI applications.

It could also be linked to the rollout of Web3 technology, which many big tech companies say are being used to train workers and develop virtual replicas of work stations.

Verizon, which has been operating in Australia for about 25 years, works in the cybersecurity and enterprise space, with no retail or consumer business.

Some examples of the company’s work include providing encryption services for government, with all passports since 2004 having been secured and encrypted by the business. In 2021, it also landed a deal to provide encryption on international Covid-19 vaccination certification.

But now it has a new goal: it wants to become a 5G power player in the market for private commercial networks.

“Private 5G technology really comes into its own when you have public infrastructure that perhaps doesn’t provide the coverage density that you need,” Mr Le Busque said. “It has many use cases in regional and rural centres where infrastructure isn’t as strong as it might be in Sydney’s Martin Place or Surry Hills.”

One of the benefits of 5G was that it required far less material than 4G and Wi-Fi networks. It also provided more connectivity.

“We need far less infrastructure and far less aerials, antennas and cables to create coverage for wider areas and more people. In a square kilometre on a 4G network today, you can have roughly 100,000 connections. But on a 5G network, you can have a million,” Mr Le Busque said.

HTC's briefcase-sized private 5G device the REIGN CORE S2.

Verizon’s first deployment of private 5G was at the Associated British Ports of Southampton, in the UK, said its vice president of global solutions Scott Lawrence.

“Some of the challenges that the port had was a mix of a large outdoor space, a lot of concrete, a lot of metal and a lot of moving parts with containers and autonomous guided vehicles. Wi-Fi just wasn’t giving them the coverage they needed,” he said. “A private 5G network allowed the company to eliminate over 350 access points and replace them with seven radio access networks.”

Mr Lawrence said 5G was being used by industries typically seen as behind on technology. “The industries we would have once thought of as tech laggards are actually at the forefront – mining, logistics companies, ports and anywhere that has a large footprint wants these networks.”

HTC is another business looking to capitalise on the demand for private 5G. At the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona last week, HTC introduced a briefcase-sized device called the REIGN CORE S2 which is capable of deploying 5G to a 10,000sq m area.

HTC Australia manager Thomas Dexmier said it was using portable 5G to support gaming and arcade-like businesses and was in talks with local companies about deploying the new device. At a global level, there’s demand from government agencies as well as the education market.

Joseph Lam travelled to Barcelona as a guest of Verizon.