Private wireless networks – addressing IT and operational imperatives for dynamic enterprises

It’s a frustrating situation facing many organizations that are far along their “digital transformation” journeys: they want and need more and more connected devices to optimize operations and enable data-driven decision-making, but they operate in environments where it’s too hard to scale traditional Wi-fi and wired connectivity.

This is an all too common challenge for industries such transportation, utilities and mining sectors, which are instead turning to private wireless 5G networks to overcome this challenge. Adoption rates for private wireless are also increasing in more traditional office environments, where network security and reliability are a high priority. And many organizations are discovering that a private wireless network can complement – rather than replace – existing IT infrastructure.

Extracting maximum business value from incorporating private wireless into an organization demands that IT leaders and non-technical business line managers collaborate from the outset; with a better understanding of how a private 5G network can drive operational efficiencies and create a better customer experience, business line managers can provide critical insight into business objectives that IT leaders can bake into their  strategic planning for how 5G will be built and used.  

Indeed, this is already occurring in many organizations organically as private 5G networks are increasingly recognized as mission-critical infrastructure not only by CIOs and IT leaders, but also operations leaders and business users who are drawn to them by the speed, low latency, security and reliability they offer. 

“Private networks are finally being recognized as powerful enablers of business transformation, not just IT transformation,” says David Grady (CISM), manager of network and security marketing at Verizon Business. “From revenue generation and cost control to product innovation and improved customer service, many business objectives can be better met with the help of a private wireless network.  The more that business leaders understand that, the more they can partner with IT to deploy the right connectivity and capabilities.”

Grady points out that with Private 5G networks, companies have better control over which devices and applications are prioritized for maximum bandwidth, meaning  mission-critical workloads come first.  This is particularly important in highly regulated industries where security and application availability is crucial. 

Private 5G is gaining traction, too, because it enables organizations to connect thousands of devices to process and analyze massive amounts of data in near real time, which can help transform operations and inform strategic decision making.

“For years, technologists and IT leaders have talked about ‘enterprise intelligence’ – being able to collect, analyze, and act on data almost immediately to achieve business objectives,” Grady explains.  “Trying this just a few years ago required an enormous investment in network infrastructure and data storage and processing capabilities.  Private wireless and edge computing have greatly streamlined all of this, making the promise of enterprise intelligence a reality now.”

“At Verizon, we’ve been designing and managing wireless networks for decades,” he adds. “It’s what we do and what we do best, as evidenced by our public network, which remains the most extensive and most reliable. I think the growing popularity of private wireless networks reflects that businesses are so very eager to accelerate innovation, and they see that Verizon has a proven track record of helping make that happen in a number of industries.”

 See how ABP made a decision to use their Verizon Private 5G Network to help make the Port of Southampton an efficient, global port.