A Beginner’s Guide to Private Cellular Networks

Just a few years ago, private cellular networks would get a passing mention as part of a talk in conference sessions or a single paragraph in a report or white paper, but now the topic commands its own conferences, white papers and webinars as it moved from proof-of-concept stage to producing business case results for industries and governments.

However, organizations still face many questions as they consider whether they should deploy a private LTE or 5G network, including how these private networks work and what are specific advantages they offer over Wi-Fi and other private networks.

This whitepaper will answer all questions under the umbrella of “Private Cellular Networking 101”, in addition to providing information on additional resources organizations can use to learn if a private LTE or 5G network makes sense for their organization.

This whitepaper addresses key questions, such as:

• What are some private LTE and private 5G use cases?
• What makes private LTE and private 5G networks better than private Wi-Fi networks?
• Is CBRS the only band of spectrum available for private LTE and private 5G networks?
• What is a private LTE CBRS network?
• Can any smartphone, embedded module, router or other type of edge device access private LTE and private 5G networks?
• Have any organizations deployed private LTE or private 5G networks yet?
• Who can build a private LTE network or private 5G network?
• How do private LTE and private 5G networks work?
• Can organizations upgrade their private LTE networks to 5G?