Kurt Schaubach, Author at Federated Wireless

About Kurt Schaubach

Kurt Schaubach brings 25 years of wireless industry experience to Federated Wireless where he plays a key role in developing technologies and new business strategies to create the next-generation architecture of broadband wireless.

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Leveraging 5G for Military Modernization and Warfighter Readiness

This article originally appeared in Government Technology Insider.

Recent successful demonstrations of a private 5G network at Marine Corps Logistics Base Albany in Albany, Georgia, showed that the benefits of 5G for military logistics modernization and warfighter readiness will be realized in the form of private networks.

According to Thomas Rondeau, Principal Director for FutureG & 5G for the Department of Defense, who observed the April demonstrations: “Achieving a pre-production, state-of-the-art private 5G network built solely by U.S.-based companies is an important milestone in advancing U.S. 5G competitiveness and gives the U.S. Military a key strategic advantage that can be replicated across mission-critical DoD facilities to accelerate warfighter readiness.”

As 5G and private wireless technology advance, the integration of 5G and 5G-enabled Internet of Things (IoT) applications holds tremendous potential for supporting the modernization of our military bases and enhancing warfighter readiness. The deployment of 5G networks and IoT applications is already revolutionizing communication, logistics, training, and security, ultimately helping to strengthen military capabilities, both in-theater and at home.

Let’s first “set the table” about the enhanced communication and connectivity enabled by a private network. One of the main benefits of private networks over public 5G networks is the ability to customize the network to meet specific requirements. Greater control over coverage, capacity, connectivity, and overall performance allows tailoring the network’s features to suit specific needs.

Critically important to our military is the superior security and privacy features offered by a private network. Traffic in private networks is kept within the enterprise, reducing exposure to external threats. Private networks also offer greater reliability as they are built and managed for a specific purpose or set of uses. This results in fewer interruptions and a better quality of service compared to a public 5G network, where resources are shared among many users.

Even lower latency than public 5G, the improved collaboration enabled by greater speed and reliability, cost control, and integration with IoT, represent other benefits of a private network.

Regarding IoT: The Albany demonstrations showed the power of private 5G-enabled, IoT-driven logistics optimization. By deploying IoT sensors and devices, personnel gain real-time visibility into supply chain operations. This enables efficient inventory management, timely resupply, and predictive maintenance of equipment, reducing downtime and improving mission readiness. The combination of 5G’s high bandwidth and low latency enables real-time tracking of assets, enhancing security and reducing the risk of theft or loss.

At Albany, real-time robotics providing route optimization, maintenance, and analytics for autonomous forklifts, robots, and guided vehicles were on display. Smart security cameras were used to stream and store video footage for asset tracking, staff authentication, and arrival/departure tracking to ensure facility security. Connected equipment including sophisticated conveyance systems with scanners and other IoT-enabled devices helped optimize inventory and asset management and provide input for operations heat mapping.

5G and IoT applications can also offer enhanced security measures for bases. IoT sensors and cameras can be integrated with 5G networks to create robust surveillance systems. Real-time data analysis and machine learning algorithms can identify potential security threats. 5G’s network slicing capabilities allow for the creation of secure, isolated communication channels, safeguarding sensitive information and protecting against cyberattacks.

What makes private 5G the differentiator in bringing the promise of 5G to bear for our military? Access to the Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) is facilitating our military’s efforts with private wireless in a number of important ways:

Shared Spectrum Model: CBRS is divided into three tiers: Incumbent Access, Priority Access License (PAL), and General Authorized Access (GAA). The military can acquire PAL licenses, granting them higher priority access to the spectrum, allowing the establishment and operation of private wireless networks with reduced interference and increased reliability.

Network Control and Security: Establishing private networks in the CBRS spectrum enables exclusive control over the communications infrastructure, allowing for customized configurations to meet specific operational requirements.

Flexibility and Interoperability: CBRS offers a flexible platform for testing and deploying emerging wireless technologies, such as 5G, without the need for extensive frequency coordination. The interoperability of CBRS devices and infrastructure also allows for seamless integration with existing military systems.

Mission-Critical Capabilities: Private wireless networks powered by CBRS can be used for mission-critical applications including command and control, surveillance, secure communications, autonomous systems, and other military-specific use cases.

The integration of CBRS-based 5G and 5G-enabled IoT applications holds immense potential for military base modernization and enhancing warfighter readiness. Military-industry collaboration on 5G continues to ramp up, showing the significant acceleration of the deployment of 5G use cases across branches.

While these advancements are remarkable, we have truly only begun to scratch the surface of what private 5G makes possible for our military.

Improved communication, optimized logistics, advanced training, and enhanced security are just a few of the benefits that private 5G provides, ultimately strengthening the capabilities of our military and ensuring preparedness for future challenges.

Department of Defense (DoD) Spectrum and the Sharing Opportunity

This article originally appeared in PolicyTracker.

Defense ministries around the world control a significant amount of the spectrum. Thanks to advances in spectrum sharing, there is an opportunity to share some of these frequencies with commercial users, particularly from the mobile industry. But are defense users willing allies?

by Richard Handford

Policymakers are looking more keenly at how governments use spectrum, with an eye to promoting greater spectral efficiency.

There is also an effort among government and regulators to identify more mid-band spectrum for IMT, 5G in particular.

Traditionally, defense users have been unwilling to give up or share their frequencies

Defense departments are typically the largest holders of radio frequencies in government. For example, Australia’s Department of Defense holds more frequencies than all other government users put together and even has its own spectrum office to coordinate usage by the armed forces and the department itself.

In addition, a significant amount of defense’s access to radio frequencies in Australia is authorized under its own apparatus licenses which cover certain bands footnoted in Australia’s Table of Frequency Band Allocations. These are often termed “Defense bands”.

A similar approach is true of other countries. In India, for instance, a significant number of bands have been identified for the exclusive use of the armed forces. They are also described as “defense bands”.

Whatever the country, the armed forces have a particular usage pattern that can combine intense activity with lower demand or even absence from the airwaves at certain times.

Traditionally, defense users have been unwilling to give up or share their frequencies. And the primacy of national security has trumped any suggestion that spectrum should be conceded to the civilian sector.

The debate shifted with the 2020 launch of the Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) in the US. The CBRS is a dynamic shared access (DSA) system that operates in the 3.5 GHz band (3550—3700 MHz) and accommodates US Navy radar alongside commercial users.

The CIO of the DoD says the armed forces can share frequencies without compromising national security

The CBRS showed coexistence between federal and private users was possible through a system that protects defense users while enabling commercial IMT service. Dynamic sharing has emerged as a preferable mechanism, at least for defense users, to segmenting or relocating incumbents, both of which have been deemed too expensive and time-consuming.

Other initiatives in the US between the defense sector, the regulator (the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)) and commercial users indicate the CBRS is not a one-off (see Figure 1).

In 2022, the US Department of Defense’s (DoD) chief information officer John Sherman said it was possible for the armed forces to share frequencies without compromising national security.

Vacating the 3100—3450 MHz band would take decades and cost the DoD billions of dollars. “But sharing offers us a way ahead out of this and we’ve proven we can do this with the other initiatives I’ve talked about,” he said.

The CTIA, the trade association representing the US mobile industry, has argued that some or all of 3100—3450 MHz should be reallocated exclusively for IMT rather than shared with the armed forces.

CBRS offers reassurance to defense users

The AFC system proposed for 6 GHz and the one used in the SAS have some similarities

The CBRS has pioneered a certain model of dynamic spectrum sharing that offers reassurance to defense users. Access is via a spectrum access system (SAS), a database that manages allocation for commercial users as well as protecting incumbents. The system is multi-tiered.

As an additional protection, the CBRS boasts a system of sensors, called the environmental sensing capability (ESC) network, which detects any US Navy usage. The ESC sensors alert the SAS, which activates a dynamic protection area (DPA) that displaces commercial users if required. The DPAs extend 200 kilometres inland.

The ESC network is necessary because the US Navy does not share the position of its ships for security reasons so the location of its radar systems has to be independently established.

This means the CBRS is more complex than, for instance, the sharing associated with unlicensed access in the 6 GHz band in the US which does not need to protect defense users.

The automated frequency coordination (AFC) system proposed for 6 GHz and the one used in the SAS have some similarities. They both rely on the same underlying principles. Firstly, they take inputs gathered from sources such as a database, portal, or sensor.

Both systems then feed the inputs through a set of rules established to protect incumbents and offer availability to entrants according to a number of conditions including location and power level.

Like in the US, AFC systems that work in unlicensed frequencies in 6 GHz are not yet commercially available in Canada

However, there are differences in how the rules are set in the two systems. While AFC makes single-entry calculations, the SAS calculations are made on an aggregate basis with input from other SAS systems—a stricter approach.

Similarly, new commercial devices on an AFC system will check in for channel availability updates once a day, while on the SAS, the check-in is much more frequent—every five minutes—so the new devices can be moved if the Navy starts using spectrum.

The wider CBRS system is also distinct from unlicensed usage in 6 GHz because it is multi-tiered and supports a network of sensors, as previously mentioned.

The incumbents in the 6 GHz band will typically be static microwave links with no national security consideration, unlike the US Navy ships which are on the move and do not share their location, thereby adding a layer of complexity to CBRS that is absent from the 6 GHz band.

Having made this general observation about 6 GHz, it is worth noting that an exception exists in Canada where some point-to-point links in the band will not be made public in the sharing database because they relate to national security. Instead, the information is shared with certified database managers who conform to agreed security protocols. Such an approach could potentially be used elsewhere where there is a sensitive (yet static) setup.

The CBRS dynamic spectrum sharing system requires all three parties—military incumbents, licensing authority, and dynamic system management operator—to be in coordination together

Like in the US, AFC systems that work in unlicensed frequencies in 6 GHz are not yet commercially available in Canada.

“In the case of CBRS, we have been authorized by the FCC to act on its behalf as a SAS administrator to make spectrum assignments,” says Jennifer McCarthy, VP of Legal Advocacy at Federated Wireless, a private wireless and shared spectrum services provider. “We interface with the FCC’s licensing database (ULS) to make sure we correctly identify entities licensed by the FCC to operate in the CBRS band. We also interface with the FCC’s equipment authorization system (EAS) database to identify equipment that’s been certified for operation in the CBRS band.”

To protect incumbents from new commercial operations in the CBRS band, Federated Wireless acquires information about military spectrum usage through different methods. “One way is via a network of sensors along the US coastlines that listen for shipborne military radars,” says McCarthy. “Then there is an online scheduling portal that’s used when the military knows in advance of their usage at certain fixed locations. Or thirdly, we have more static sharing approaches around certain military bases. The CBRS dynamic spectrum sharing system requires all three parties—military incumbents, licensing authority, and dynamic system management operator—to be in coordination together.”

McCarthy coins the phrase “dynamic spectrum management system” (DSMS), which originated in discussions about sharing possibilities in the 3100—3450 MHz band, to cover the diversity of sharing options now available. In some situations, a system could be closer to the AFC that’s been designed for sharing in the 6 GHz band, while in others it could be more like SAS depending on the incumbent systems in the band, how frequently they operate, and other considerations. The use of the term DSMS reflects the diverse options for a sharing regime with a military incumbent.

A report by the US National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) found that the number of devices on the CBRS had grown by 121 per cent in the 21 months from 1 April 2021, to 1 January 2023. The NTIA also found that about 45 per cent of all active CBRS devices were deployed where the use of spectrum is shared with defense users—an indication that the sharing regime is working.

Of course, one prerequisite for the defense sector sharing spectrum is the wider adoption of AFC or SAS sharing regimes in a country. Implementation globally is still at an early stage. The US and Canada are leaders in the field. CBRS is currently the only dynamic spectrum-sharing system that is commercially available in the world.

Will other countries follow the US lead?

Ofcom says it is currently updating its spectrum licensing software to a single, unified system

The UK national regulatory authority Ofcom has not introduced dynamic spectrum access. It still relies on a manual rather than an automated approach to spectrum sharing, whereby interested parties apply to use shared spectrum and wait for Ofcom to manually coordinate their request, rather than the automated system through a database.

In March 2023 it published a review of its shared access regime. “Based on… discussions with stakeholders (where there was no consensus view) and our analysis of costs and benefits, … [DSA] is not our preferred approach for these bands at this time,” it concluded.

Yet among its recommendations, the regulator said it had been working with the UK’s Ministry of Defense (MoD) to see if more of the 2.3 GHz band (specifically 2300—2350 MHz) could be made available for low power use under the shared access framework. The 2390—2400 MHz band is currently available on a shared basis.

More optimistically for supporters of DSA, the UK regulator also published a review of dynamic or adaptive spectrum management alongside its review of the shared access framework.

In that document, Ofcom says it is currently updating its spectrum licensing software to a single, unified system under its licensing platform evolution (LPE) programme. This is intended to be far more automated.

Some licenses, including shared access ones, will move to the new platform in early 2024. Ofcom says the new system “has the potential to provide a platform for, and act as a springboard to, more dynamic spectrum management solutions”.

In Australia, the Department of Defense’s spectrum office has been skeptical about the possibility of sharing its radio frequencies with commercial users in the past.

The UK regulator asked the defence ministry to review its use of 7—24 GHz

In response to a consultation on sharing launched by ACMA, the country’s regulator, the defense spectrum office contrasted the CBRS, “which puts the burden of sharing on Tier 2/3 (secondary) users,” with the “simplified sharing framework proposed by ACMA”. It said there were “numerous practical, technical and security issues with such an approach that make it problematic. Defense does not support such a model.”

PolicyTracker asked the defense spectrum office if it would take a more positive view of a CBRS-type model and whether its views had changed in the intervening four years. We have received no response so far.

PolicyTracker also contacted the UK’s Ministry of Defence (MoD) for its view. We were directed to a slide deck shared by an MoD speaker at Tech UK’s Future Spectrum Policy Summit held in December 2022.

The slides related to potential sharing in the 7—24 GHz band. Ofcom asked MoD to review its usage of these bands. The MoD says that 85 per cent of its spectrum (not just 7—24 GHz) is already shared with other public or private sector users (although not dynamically).

The 7-24 GHz band is extensively used by defense users. The MoD also points out that sharing incurs additional costs. And said it is running out of spectrum.

The MoD concludes: “Alternative modes of sharing, such as adaptive spectrum access (ASA), could produce economic opportunities for increased access to public sector frequency bands but we are not there yet.”

Figure 1: Spectrum sharing initiatives in the US between DoD and commercial users

Spectrum Band	Name	Incumbent	Arrangement	Status
3550—3700 MHz	Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS)	US Navy radar systems	Dynamic sharing access sharing. commercial launch in early 2020.	Auction raises $4.58 billion raised (August 2020). Commercial launch in early 2020
3450—3550 MHz	America’s Mid-Band Initiative Team (AMBIT)	Majority of DoD users relocated with some remaining	Not a sharing regime. Remaining DoD users in specific locations protected through coordination arrangements.	Auction raised $22.5 billion (January 2022)
3110—3450 MHz	Partnering To Advance Trusted and Holistic Spectrum Solution (PATHSS)	Radar systems	Dynamic spectrum management system. Still under discussion.	DoD is due to report by 30 June 2023.
Lower 37 GHz (37.0—37.6 GHz)	n/a	Military will have access to spectrum in specific locations. Coordination required on occasion.	The FCC has established a licensing framework for sharing in this band.	The FCC is developing service rules under a pending proceeding.
2025—2110 MHz	n/a	Broadcasting	Military will have access to spectrum in specific locations. Coordination required on occasion.	MoU signed between DoD, NAB and SBE

Source: PolicyTracker

6 Key Considerations for Determining Your Private Network Needs

Phone sending out a signal in a matrix styled shopping mall.

Private wireless network is becoming increasingly popular in today’s connected world, as organizations and enterprises seek more secure and reliable alternatives to public networks.

What is a Private Wireless Network?

A private wireless network is a dedicated network that allows organizations to establish personalized wireless broadband connectivity. It operates on shared frequency bands, — such as the CBRS spectrum — delivering secure yet reliable access to users.

Think of it as a private, secure wireless network exclusively accessible by your enterprise, government agency, college, or any other large organization.

Private wireless networks can provide a range of benefits, from improved coverage in remote and underserved areas to enhanced security and data privacy.

But when is it necessary to invest in a private network, and what key considerations should go into the decision?

What Factors Should You Consider When Determining Your Private Network Needs?

1. Coverage Needs

One of the most significant factors to consider when evaluating the need for a private network is coverage. For enterprises in areas with limited or no coverage from a mobile network operator (MNO) or internet service provider (ISP), a private wireless network may be necessary.

This is particularly true in remote or rural areas, or in locations difficult or expensive to blanket with Wi-Fi. Additionally, for enterprises requiring outdoor coverage, a private wireless network can be a cost-effective and reliable solution. Examples include resorts, golf-course communities, or college campuses.

2. Capacity Requirements

Another important factor to consider when determining the need for a private wireless network is capacity. For enterprises with an existing network that is performing well but needs additional capacity to support new applications, a private network can be a great solution.

This is highly relevant for data-intensive applications such as surveillance video, where bandwidth requirements are high. Utilities using narrow-band solutions may also benefit from a private wireless network that can provide additional capacity for their operations.

3. Security and Privacy

In today’s world, security and privacy are more critical than ever before. If you do not trust the security or privacy of your existing network, or if MNO networks violate your private data needs, a private network may be a more secure and private alternative.

Wi-Fi security is often not adequate for enterprise-level applications, and MNO networks can be vulnerable to hacking and data breaches. A private wireless network can be designed with security and privacy in mind, providing end-to-end encryption and other advanced security features to protect sensitive data.

4. Edge Compute Applications

Edge computing is becoming increasingly necessary, as more organizations look to process data closer to its source.

Automated intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML)-based video processing at the edge are excellent examples of applications that require high-quality connectivity, and can therefore derive a benefit from a private wireless networking solution. Another example? Robotics deployments require a super low-latency network to ensure uninterrupted operability, which is not possible with traditional Wi-Fi networks.

5. Interference Issues

Enterprises experiencing operations-impacting interference issues on an existing network may find a private wireless solution to be the best option for remediation. This is particularly true in difficult RF environments, such as warehouses and manufacturing facilities with a lot of metal racks and equipment. Stadiums and events that include a preponderance of endpoints are also examples of environments where interference issues can be challenging to manage and solve.

6. Seamless Integration

In the instance of enterprises that require a network that can seamlessly connect to public MNO networks for MNO services, but are finding their current distributed antenna system (DAS) too expensive and complex, a private wireless network may be necessary.

This is particularly relevant for visitors at medical facilities like hospital campuses, or in parking lots, where network coverage is poor. A private network can provide a cost-effective and reliable solution to connect to public networks seamlessly.

There are many factors to consider when determining the need for a private wireless network. From meeting coverage and capacity requirements to alleviating security and privacy concerns, there are also many benefits to investing in a private network.

At Federated Wireless, we recommend starting with a single use case or starter network implementation, which provides the foundation for a more widespread deployment custom-fit for an enterprise’s unique needs.

New to private wireless? It’s a new world; we welcome you, here.

How Wi-Fi 6E Proliferation Can Lead to Better-Performing Wi-Fi Networks

This article originally appeared in Light Reading, here.

From its earliest days, the Wi-Fi industry has had a kind of frontier mentality when it came to managing unlicensed airspace: “Let device makers do as they please,” the thinking went, “and may the best solutions win.” This commitment to solving problems at the device level has served Wi-Fi well. Today though, a new generation of demanding applications requires more consistent, deterministic wireless performance. The industry has responded with Wi-Fi 6E.

Wi-Fi 6E brings a huge capacity boost and, for the first time, third-party coordination of devices sharing unlicensed airspace. With its new software management layer, Wi-Fi 6E lets enterprises use Wi-Fi in ways that weren’t possible before, without sacrificing the flexibility that makes Wi-Fi great. And it’s about to upend ideas of what Wi-Fi can do and where it’s going next.

Envisioning a New Kind of Wi-Fi

Quick refresher: Wi-Fi 6E brings a huge new tranche of spectrum in the 6GHz frequency band, effectively tripling the spectral capacity available for unlicensed devices. Suddenly, Wi-Fi can be a viable option for demanding applications like indoor mesh connectivity and reliable video streaming. But there’s one potential hiccup: the incumbents already using this spectrum for point-to-point microwave services at thousands of locations across the United States.

To protect incumbent applications, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has commissioned the establishment of software-based spectrum-sharing frameworks called Automated Frequency Coordination (AFC) systems. Under this model, AFC providers manage wireless devices authorized to operate in a certain location and frequency. Standard Power Wi-Fi access points (APs) will register with the AFC service, which will (on a daily basis) determine the appropriate power levels and frequencies devices can use at that location to protect incumbent applications. This will allow Wi-Fi devices to make the most of the new 6GHz spectrum and operate at higher power levels indoors and out.

If this software-based spectrum-sharing sounds familiar, that’s because it’s analogous to the approach used by Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) in private 4G/5G networks. But this is the first time this concept – or any kind of software-coordinated spectrum management – has been applied to Wi-Fi. Vendors and their customers will have to get used to the external coordination of Wi-Fi. But by doing so, they’ll be able to support emerging applications in areas like smart factories, robotic automation, autonomous drones, and many others that current Wi-Fi networks can’t support.

Looking Ahead

So, how will the Wi-Fi 6E story play out in the coming years? In the short term, look for a new generation of better-performing Wi-Fi networks. When APs can operate at higher power levels and use more spectrum – without disrupting incumbent applications – enterprises can achieve better performance with fewer APs. Major OEMs have already secured FCC approval for new Wi-Fi 6E and AFC technologies, and networking vendors will make products available starting in early 2023.

Longer term, expect AFC to begin bringing some order to the more chaotic environment that’s historically prevailed in unlicensed airspace. Vendors will be able to bring a level of guaranteed quality and access that’s never been possible with Wi-Fi before. This means Wi-Fi can become a major player in emerging Industry 4.0, IoT, and other new enterprise applications.

Eventually, we can envision a model where management mechanisms for unlicensed Wi-Fi, Private 5G, and even licensed spectrum converge. Enterprises could have a menu of wireless access options operating over different frequency bands, with the flexibility to use the best technology for every application, in any location.

Weighing AFC Options

If you’re among those developing new Wi-Fi 6E solutions, be sure to think through the implications of this new software-driven management model. The AFC you choose will play a key role in determining the kinds of advanced applications you support and the quality your solutions can reliably deliver. Look for partners who:

Recognize the importance of AFC in enabling high-performance, ultra-reliable Wi-Fi connectivity;
Understand the intricacies of software-driven spectrum sharing and have proven experience delivering it at scale, such as with CBRS; and
Provide highly scalable, responsive, fully supported AFC cloud services.

And for enterprises contemplating next-generation wireless options? Just make sure you’re working with vendors focused on your applications and business – not partisans for a particular technology. As long as you do, you can have the best of both worlds: the freedom and independence that’s made Wi-Fi king of wireless, with new airspace management capabilities to support the applications of the future.

Digital Transformation: Private 5G with Cloud, Edge, and IoT

This article originally appeared on Spiceworks.com, here.

New cloud, edge, and IoT applications can really transform businesses in powerful ways. But if you want to get the most from new investments in these areas, make sure you’re taking a hard look at your connectivity too.

Enterprises across the board have been focusing on expanding and deepening their digital transformation. Kurt Schaubach, CTO, Federated Wireless, discusses the need to move to private 5G to truly leverage the innovations of the new cloud, the edge and the IoT.

Why Are Businesses Experiencing Digital Transformation?

If you follow the enterprise technology space, you may have noticed signs of a sea change. As an industry, we’ve been talking about digital transformation for years, but usually in future-focused terms. Suddenly, the pictures painted by vendors and the technology press seem much more concrete. You can thank three converging technology trends: cloud, edge, and Internet of Things (IoT).

Why Is Digital Transformation Essential for Business Growth?

With new edge and IoT solutions, forward-looking businesses are connecting and automating operations across factories, farms, and hospitals. They’re running computationally intensive workloads like advanced analytics and machine learning locally and immediately acting on those insights. Just as important, those investing in early edge and IoT initiatives are planting a stake in the ground to transform their business—maybe their whole industry—before the competition beats them to it.

Enterprises in every sector have been tracking this change, and many are now evaluating edge and IoT investments to fuel their own digital transformation. As they do, though, some overlook a crucial part of the story: connectivity. Existing infrastructure (typically, legacy Wi-Fi) can’t provide the necessary performance, security, or control for genuinely transformative edge and IoT innovations. The early lesson: if you’re investing in digital transformation, upgrading connectivity should be part of that cycle.

The good news is, just as businesses rethink enterprise operations, a complementary revolution is reimagining enterprise connectivity with Private 5G. Those adopting private wireless find it provides an ideal platform for their digital transformation initiatives—and an early competitive edge.

What Are the Challenges of Digital Transformation with Legacy Infrastructures?

Why can’t businesses get the most from digital transformation with legacy infrastructures? Because those infrastructures can’t deliver many of the capabilities—higher performance, lower latency, stronger security—that more innovative applications require.

Consider a manufacturer seeking to transform its business digitally. They want to automate factories using robotics and autonomous vehicles and continually optimize end-to-end operations via real-time analytics and machine learning. To support this initiative, they’ll need: Ultra-Reliable Low-Latency connectivity to safely control automated equipment.

A foundation for digital transformation:

Local edge computing to analyze real-time data and act on it.
Edge storage to handle the massive amounts of data their environment now generates.
End-to-end security to protect sensitive equipment and keep proprietary data private.

Why Is 5G Important for the Digital Transformation?

Legacy Wi-Fi, with its inconsistent bandwidth and latency as well as its lack of good options to connect to and secure autonomous equipment, isn’t a viable option here. The manufacturer could buy connectivity from a wireless carrier, but that brings its own issues: higher costs, lack of true privacy, and overall lack of control over the infrastructure.

Now though, there’s an alternative to meet demanding application requirements without Wi-Fi or telco connectivity deficits: Private 5G. This manufacturer could connect factories end to end with the right performance and security using private wireless. They could retain total control of their connectivity and keep all sensitive data on-premises. And they could put in place a cloud-native business infrastructure by design, making it much easier to add new edge and IoT capabilities in the future.

See More: 5G and Its Transformative Effect on Business and Cybersecurity

Evaluating Private 5G Solutions

Once businesses have committed to upgrading connectivity, there’s a natural next question: Where should you start? Carriers, cloud providers, and other vendors now offer a range of solutions under the umbrella term “private wireless.” The first thing to understand is that not all private 5G networks are created equal. If your goal is flexible, edge-native connectivity that can evolve with your business, your Private 5G solution should meet three core criteria:

It should run over a shared spectrum: Ideally, private wireless should deliver next-generation performance and security in a way that’s fully self-managed and controlled by the enterprise. But is it really private if you get “Private 5G” from a mobile operator? What you’re actually getting is a network slice over a public network. Your traffic often still gets routed through the operator’s core network, outside your premises. Even worse, you’re now dependent on that operator to make any changes for you. When you invest in new edge and IoT applications to transform your business, those applications become business critical—and so does the infrastructure they run on. You should be able to fine-tune, maintain, and iteratively update that infrastructure as quickly as your business needs change. If you have to submit an order to a carrier every time you want to make a change, you’re not getting that.
It should be edge-native: As you tap into new edge services, things just work better when your connectivity is built from the ground up for cloud environments—not a legacy solution that’s been virtualized to run on an edge computer platform. When your wireless is truly cloud-native, you get the same scalability, resiliency, and automation as the rest of your business’ cloud footprint. Your wireless infrastructure also now works like other cloud software, enabling DevOps models, continuous updates, and easy integration with the vast developer space writing cloud applications. When you need to scale your platform, modify it, or onboard new edge and IoT capabilities as they emerge, your infrastructure is part of that ecosystem on day one.
It should be truly 5G: Some emerging wireless alternatives, like Wi-Fi 6, offer 5G-like capabilities. These can provide a high-value, cost-effective solution for many traditional enterprise applications. But for the truly transformative innovations—robotic automation, real-time analytics, digital twins, and others—you’ll need the reliability, security, and ultra-low latency that only real 5G can deliver.

Building for the Future

No one can say what the future will bring, but we can make this prediction with confidence: some businesses will realize the limitations of their connectivity only after they’ve tried to deploy new edge and IoT applications—and have to scramble to make up for lost time. By building digital transformation on shared spectrum private 5G, you can ensure you’re among those creating transformative change in your industry, instead of watching others get there first.

A Match Made In Spectrum

This article originally appeared in ISE, here.

Private LTE/5G network deployments are increasing across the globe. Analysys Mason analysts, Ibraheem Kasujee and Michele Mackenzie, forecast the number of these networks to grow at a CAGR of 65% between 2021 and 2027. They expect deployments to be about 39,000 by YE 2027.Enterprises’ spending (CapEx and OpEx) on private LTE/5G networks is expected to reach $7.7 billion worldwide in 2027 and will grow at a CAGR of 48% between 2021 and 2027 (See Figure 1. Source: https://www.analysysmason.com/research/content/regional-forecasts-/private-5g-networks-forecast-rma17/).

Figure 1. Private Network CapEx and OpEx, worldwide, 2021–2027.

The report also encourages private network suppliers to develop strategies that address several challenges to private network adoption. These challenges include:

Private network solutions are currently highly bespoke and complex; these are characteristics that limit the ability to scale. Early private network adopters are typically large corporations that have the resources to buy and operate complex solutions; smaller firms do not have these capabilities and will need networks that are simpler to buy and manage.
The cost of private networks is currently prohibitively high (compared to Wi-Fi, for example) for the broader enterprise market.
The awareness and understanding of private cellular networks is still low among enterprises, especially small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and will take time to grow.

“The research firm expects enterprises’ spending (CapEx and OpEx) on private LTE/5G networks to reach $7.7 billion worldwide in 2027 and will grow at a CAGR of 48% between 2021 and 2027.”

Nuts and Bolts

One strategy enterprises can leverage is CBRS spectrum that is dynamically allocated as it is needed. This makes spectrum more accessible and opens up new avenues for enterprises that want to build and manage their own private wireless networks.

Network elements needed include a dedicated core, dedicated radios, and management functions that can run on the enterprise’s infrastructure or can be leased from another company, such as a cloud provider.

By incorporating open-source technologies, companies can work with different vendors to create the right integrated solution for their business. Amazon Web Services (AWS), for example, offers a private 5G solution and Intel recently acquired the Open Networking Forum (ONF), which uses open-source components to deliver connectivity over wireless spectrum such as CBRS. Federated Wireless is also actively commercializing CBRS for both fixed and private wireless systems nationwide through partnerships with Intel, Amazon, and Microsoft.

Choosing a SAS Provider

SAS refers to Spectrum Access System, a cloud-based service that manages the wireless communications of devices transmitting in the CBRS band. It ensures that priority is given according to tiers: first to the incumbents, then to PAL, then to GAA.

The FCC certified a group of companies to serve as SAS managers with the responsibility to coordinate the use of the CBRS spectrum. The process is straightforward. Requests to use the CBRS band are made through the SAS cloud-based system. The system checks to see if the spectrum is available in the desired geographic location, and if it is, the request will be granted.

It’s important to vigorously vet your SAS partner prior to moving forward with your private network initiatives. Below are 6 questions you should ask each of the potential SAS partners you are evaluating:

Question 1: How experienced is your SAS provider?
Question 2: Does the SAS provider offer a comprehensive ESC network?
Question 3: Does the SAS provider’s data use policy align with your objectives?
Question 4: Do they provide end-to-end spectrum management?
Question 5: Does the SAS provider have a good track record in terms of having secure systems?
Question 6: Can the SAS provider adapt to your unique requirements, regardless of business size (e.g., enterprises vs WISPs)?

By asking these questions, you will be able to quickly evaluate whether the SAS provider you’re vetting possesses the qualities of a good provider. Not only must they be experienced and trustworthy, but they should also be able to provide reliable connections, have a high-quality ESC network, and ensure you and your customer’s data is kept secure.

“One strategy enterprises can leverage is CBRS spectrum that is dynamically allocated as it is needed. This makes spectrum more accessible and opens up new avenues for enterprises that want to build and manage their own private wireless networks.”

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Spectrum Life Cycle Management
A good SAS provider can offer solutions beyond monitoring your spectrum. Look for a SAS that offers additional services such as analyzing spectrum availability at the beginning, CPI certification, and RAN set-up assistance.

Prevents Interference Using a Comprehensive ESC Network
Not all SAS providers have a nationwide, triple-redundant, registered ESC network. If the SAS’s ESC network is lacking, it won’t be as effective in predicting when incumbents will need to use the spectrum, and you might experience interference or outages. A triple-redundant system ensures 99.999% spectrum availability, even if unexpected events require the incumbents to use more of it. Make sure your provider’s network is sufficient.

Provides 24/7 Customer Service
If you start experiencing interference, you want to be able to report it and have the SAS provider identify and address the cause of it right away. When choosing a provider, find out how you can reach them with any issues and how quickly they’ll respond. Your own customers expect you to respond quickly to requests, so you shouldn’t expect anything less from a SAS provider.

Protects Your Privacy
When you sign up with a SAS provider, you need to give them your location and customer information. Make sure that they’ll keep that information private and won’t share it with other WISPs or use it themselves. Don’t choose a SAS that’s also an Internet service provider. They might not share your information with others, but they could use it themselves to compete against you.

CBRS Tiers

Way back in 2017, the FCC prioritized the spectrum in three tiers:

Tier 1 is reserved for incumbents. The incumbents in the 3.5 GHz band are the US Navy, satellite ground stations, and grandfathered-in fixed wireless providers operating under Part 90 rules. Some grandfathered fixed wireless providers have until 2023 to make the transition to CBRS rules. The Navy must take first priority in case of any emergency communications. Satellites also receive crucial, sensitive information and must be enabled to operate without interruption.
Tier 2 is for Priority Access License (PAL) holders. The FCC auctioned 70 megahertz of spectrum with seven licenses available per county. Ninety-one percent (91%) of the 22,631 licenses were sold at the auction in August 2020. Some who purchased these licenses may resell them in the secondary market or share them under GAA.
Tier 3 is General Authorized Access (GAA). This spectrum is available to any WISP who registers with a SAS. WISPs operating under GAA can use any unoccupied spectrum on the band but must yield priority to higher tiers. The SAS provider is responsible for managing and allocating the spectrum to ensure that it’s adequately shared, and priority is given without causing unnecessary interference. (See Figure 2 above. Source: https://www.federatedwireless.com/guides/what-is-cbrs/)