Copyright TechTarget - All rights reserved https://cyber.law.harvard.edu/rss/rss.html Techtarget Feed Generator en Fri, 05 Jun 2026 18:14:04 GMT https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking editor@techtarget.com <p>Wi-Fi 7, the latest wireless standard, offers higher performance levels for real-time processing.</p> <p>Compared to Wi-Fi 6, Wi-Fi 7 doubles the bandwidth for massive data throughput and significantly reduces latencies. Wi-Fi 7 also introduces Multi-Link Operation (MLO), which enables devices to send and receive data over multiple radio bands simultaneously, unimpeded by network traffic or external interference.</p> <p>Network performance is a critical factor in enabling AI applications and systems. <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchenterpriseai/tip/How-to-train-an-LLM-on-your-own-data">Training large language models</a> requires synchronizing massive datasets with a vast number of model parameters. LLM training occurs across thousands of interconnected GPUs at high transfer rates. Wi-Fi 7 can help&nbsp;reduce&nbsp;network-related bottlenecks, which is especially useful in cloud-based AI deployments, the most common <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchenterpriseai/feature/Strategies-to-successfully-deploy-AI-in-the-enterprise">approaches to implementing enterprise AI</a>.</p> <p>This article examines how Wi-Fi 7's capabilities are well-suited for enterprise AI deployment, from performance improvements to enhanced reliability and security.</p> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="MLO boosts AI performance"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>MLO boosts AI performance</h2> <p>Wi-Fi 7's use of MLO enables devices to use multiple frequency bands simultaneously, which <a target="_blank" href="https://medium.com/uw-ictd/rethinking-network-congestion-ed122ba8ef7f" rel="noopener">decongests crowded spectrum</a>. When multiple frequency bands are available, the network can seamlessly send data without interruption.</p> <p>High-speed connectivity is crucial for AI. Efficient edge deployments depend on Wi-Fi 7's near-instantaneous MLO responses and minimal signal interference. Wi-Fi 7 supports free-flowing, simultaneous data transmission across the 2.4, 5 and 6 gigahertz bands, so the network experiences fewer interruptions, reducing latency.</p> <p>In addition, because most devices aren't compatible with Wi-Fi 7, the 6 GHz band is nearly competition-free, typically used only by Wi-Fi 7 devices and high-speed applications, such as those powered by AI.&nbsp;</p> <p>Wi-Fi 7 use cases continue to expand in industries that use AI, such as finance, manufacturing, pharmaceuticals and healthcare. MLO enables high speeds, reduces latency and provides the spectrum bands necessary to operate AI applications in these fields.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Greater multi-user capacity for AI"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Greater multi-user capacity for AI</h2> <p>Wi-Fi 7 also offers improved multi-user multiple input, multiple output (MU-MIMO) capabilities for AI-enabled devices. MU-MIMO enables&nbsp;wireless routers to use different multiplexing streams within a single frequency for simultaneous data transmission.</p> <p>Augmented spatial streams increase overall data capacity within existing frequencies to improve <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchenterpriseai/tip/AI-inference-vs-training-Key-differences-and-tradeoffs">real-time model training and inferencing</a>, and enhance overall edge connectivity. Reduced latencies and greater network throughput are ideal for intelligent urban infrastructure, industrial IoT and smart manufacturing.</p> <p>Companies in the industrial sector increasingly use AI applications to enhance operations and improve quality control. In these scenarios, the wide-spectrum usage translates to the simultaneous data transmissions that are critical for robotics, AI-driven asset management and the numerous machine sensors that transmit data. These represent the levels and types of wireless performance driving Industry 4.0 today.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Wi-Fi 7 implementation strategies"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Wi-Fi 7 implementation strategies</h2> <p>To adequately support AI workloads and applications with Wi-Fi 7, network leaders must consider the following Wi-Fi 7 implementation strategies:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li>Reassess network designs.</li> <li>Plan for capacity requirements.</li> <li><a name="_Hlk219965204"></a>Integrate with existing network infrastructure.</li> </ul> <h3>Reassess network design</h3> <p><a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/tip/3-types-of-wireless-site-surveys-and-how-to-conduct-them">Site surveys</a> can provide a comprehensive understanding of the current network environment and reveal potential issues before implementation. Site managers should be ready to analyze the physical layout and obstacles that could interfere with Wi-Fi signals.</p> <p>A complete site survey can help determine optimal access point (AP) placement by also identifying other potential sources of signal-level interference, such as additional wireless networks, appliances and electronic devices.</p> <h3>Plan for capacity requirements</h3> <p>Capacity planning offers a crucial benchmark. While Wi-Fi 7 is appropriate for high-density environments, knowing the user count will help avoid bottlenecks and service delivery latencies and determine the number of devices that can simultaneously connect to the network.</p> <p>AP density helps determine how many APs an organization needs -- and where they should be placed -- to accommodate the increase in connected devices. Evaluating the types of applications that will run on the network, as well as their <a href="e-network-bandwidth-requirements">bandwidth requirements</a>, helps administrators determine network readiness in advance.</p> <p>While Wi-Fi 7’s higher speeds and reduced latencies make it suitable for demanding applications, network administrators require advanced knowledge to deploy MLO and 320-megahertz channels properly.</p> <h3>Integrate with existing network infrastructure</h3> <p>Although Wi-Fi 7 is designed to work with modern network infrastructure, network leaders should assess whether their current hardware supports Wi-Fi 7 capabilities. For example, teams should ensure current switchgear can handle the increased data speeds and capacity offered by Wi-Fi 7 and be prepared to upgrade to compatible hardware if necessary.</p> <p>Network teams should also determine the data transfer rate between APs to prevent bottlenecks and ensure sufficient bandwidth can handle the increased data traffic from Wi-Fi 7 devices.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p><em>Kerry Doyle writes about technology for a variety of publications and platforms. His current focus is on issues relevant to IT and enterprise leaders across a range of topics, from nanotech and cloud to distributed services and AI.</em></p> </section> Wi-Fi 7’s MLO, wider channels and improved MU-MIMO provide the speed and reliability AI systems need to train faster and generate insights more efficiently. https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/rms/onlineimages/ai_a264431831.jpg https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/tip/Why-Wi-Fi-7-is-crucial-for-enterprise-AI Fri, 23 Jan 2026 14:45:00 GMT <p>Things tend to change fast in Wi-Fi. A new standard that promises even more fantastic performance gains is always just around the corner. At the same time, the laws of physics and the power regulations that limit Wi-Fi 6's range capabilities are inescapable.</p> <p>Long-distance coverage is less relevant where Wi-Fi is dense -- for example, in offices with carpeted spaces where numerous smaller cells serve many clients. This article evaluates how <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/tip/Wi-Fi-6-vs-Wi-Fi-6E-Spectrum-not-hype-is-key-difference">current WLAN standards</a> affect Wi-Fi range.</p> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Wi-Fi range basics"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Wi-Fi range basics</h2> <p>The effective range of any transmitted signal is determined by several key aspects that shape the output power or to receive signals. Examples of factors that affect range include the following:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li>Signal frequency.</li> <li>Output power.</li> <li>The ability of the antenna, which depends on proper build and specifications such as aperture.</li> </ul> <h3>Frequencies</h3> <p>Today's <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/tip/Whats-the-difference-between-80211ax-vs-80211ac/">802.11-based WLANs</a> operate in the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands for Wi-Fi 6, and the 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz and 6 GHz bands for Wi-Fi 6E and 7. The higher the frequency range, the less effective the range and the signal's ability to penetrate objects at the same output power.</p> <h3>Power</h3> <p><a target="_blank" href="https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/fcc-20-51a1.pdf" rel="noopener">The FCC regulates</a> all Wi-Fi bands and channels within the bands in the U.S. In the 2.4 GHz band, Wi-Fi power before the antenna can be up to 1 watt, but is typically 100 milliwatts (mW) or less. Of the antenna, the FCC allows up to 4 watts effective isotropic radiated power. It's more nuanced in 5 GHz and 6 GHz, which both depend on the specific sub-band of frequencies in use and whether the environment is indoor or outdoor. But, as with 2.4 GHz, client output power is usually less than 100 mW.</p> <h3>Antenna patterns</h3> <p>Antennas tend to be omnidirectional or built with some amount of directionality. Directional antennas can shape the available signal, sending it farther in a given direction. Think about how a round water balloon changes shape when you squeeze it. A highly directional antenna will yield a greater range in a given direction at the expense of reducing it in all other directions.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Wi-Fi range comparison"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Wi-Fi range comparison</h2> <p>As frequency increases, the effective<i> </i>range at a given power level decreases when typical antennas are in use. This premise extends beyond Wi-Fi and is true for all radio technologies.</p> <p><iframe title="Wi-Fi standard ranges" aria-label="Table" id="datawrapper-chart-S3pTG" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/S3pTG/1/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" height="239" data-external="1"></iframe> <script type="text/javascript">window.addEventListener("message",function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r,i=0;r=e[i];i++)if(r.contentWindow===a.source){var d=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";r.style.height=d}}});</script> </p> <p>The channel width also affects the effective range. Wider channels distribute available power across the entire channel width and require a higher signal-to-noise ratio (<a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/definition/signal-to-noise-ratio">SNR</a>). Each new standard brings even wider channels with it. Today's specifications support channel widths that are impractical in the real world.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Wi-Fi data rate vs. range"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Wi-Fi data rate vs. range</h2> <p>Wi-Fi generates the highest data rates when client devices are close to the access point (AP) and have signals that are strong and clean, regardless of standard. As clients roam away from the AP, signal strength and SNR lessen, and data rates drop off in well-defined steps.</p> <p>Consider the now obsolete 802.11b standard. Its best rate was 11 megabits per second, but as the client device moved farther away from the AP, the rate dropped to 5.5 Mbps, then 2 Mbps and eventually to 1 Mbps. The same step-down effect occurs with Wi-Fi 6 range -- as well with 6E and 7 -- but because these standards are more complicated, dozens, if not hundreds, of permutations now exist.</p> <blockquote class="main-article-pullquote"> <div class="main-article-pullquote-inner"> <figure> Even as Wi-Fi 7 begins to gain attention, the industry is asking the same questions about range that have been raised throughout the history of 802.11-based wireless networking. </figure> <figcaption> <strong>Lee Badman</strong> </figcaption> <i class="icon" data-icon="z"></i> </div> </blockquote> <p>In enterprise WLAN environments, cells permit high-bandwidth roaming. As a result, clients are always close to an AP, and the lower end of the rate versus range principle doesn't apply. The only practical option to extend the signal in business WLAN spaces is to use highly directional antennas to cover an area. Unlike residential deployments, range extenders and repeaters don't integrate well in enterprise Wi-Fi.</p> <p><a name="_Hlk214898634"></a>Even as Wi-Fi 7 <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/feature/The-future-of-Wi-Fi-7-adoption-in-enterprises">begins to gain attention</a>, the industry continues to ask the same questions about range that have been raised throughout the history of 802.11-based wireless networking. Similar to earlier standards, Wi-Fi 7 is bound by it regulatory limits for power output in all three bands. Antenna selection still matters in shaping Wi-Fi 7 cells to gain longer coverage in a certain direction.</p> <p>By taking advantage of 6 GHz's newest modulation magic and wider channels, Wi-Fi 7 -- like Wi-Fi 6 and 6E -- will generate the highest data rates when devices are close to the AP. That might give the newest standard a fighting chance to live up to its promise.</p> <p><i>Lee Badman is a network architect specializing in wireless and cloud technologies for a large private university. He's also an author and frequent presenter at industry events.</i></p> </section> Every Wi-Fi standard promises faster speeds and better performance. However, every standard also experiences the real-world limitations of enterprise networking. https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/rms/onlineimages/map_globe_g1310544349.jpg https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/tip/Wi-Fi-6-range-limitations-and-why-they-exist Wed, 10 Dec 2025 09:10:00 GMT <p>AI and machine learning are having a significant impact on wireless networking and telecommunications for network operators. Various innovations have enhanced coverage, optimized operations and improved customer experience.</p> <p>At the same time, telecom operator lethargy and pushback contributed to the rise of alternative approaches, driven by the simplicity of alternatives like <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/definition/TCP-IP">TCP/IP</a> and Wi-Fi. Other innovations in wireless telecommunications show promise for extending the reach of enterprise operations across a wide variety of use cases.</p> <p>When 5G first came out, it promised better and faster networks across a multitude of applications. Yet users were frustrated by dead zones that required failing over to legacy network protocols to fill the gaps. The core 5G protocols also enable 5G to be a promising alternative to Wi-Fi in enterprises and can help reduce latency as well as improve resilience. Nevertheless, commissioning a 5G link is still a more challenging proposition than onboarding a new Wi-Fi device.</p> <p>Recent innovations in AI, particularly generative AI (<a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchenterpriseai/definition/generative-AI">GenAI</a>), are helping to mitigate these challenges. And just around the corner, next-generation <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/definition/6G">6G</a> standards that use AI more directly in the network to enhance resilience could help overcome these limitations, thereby boosting enterprise adoption of these cellular telecommunications standards as a viable alternative to Wi-Fi and other internet options.</p> <p>"Currently, the telecom ecosystem is benefiting from what AI can bring to the table in several ways. Directly related to the telecom systems, operators are now building LLMs [large language models] that can analyze incoming packets to predict maintenance and downtime before it occurs," said Scot Glover, global leader of technology, media and telecommunications at Protiviti, a digital transformation consultancy.</p> <p>Another concern is the significant power needed for telecommunications networks. While AI consumes power to perform its tasks, the ability of AI to build and design new <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/definition/radio-access-network-RAN">radio access networks</a> and manage them more efficiently during both peak and slow times should bring about significant cost reductions over time, according to Glover. These new benefits will lead to better performance, more eco-friendly networks and improved satisfaction for customers of <i>mobile virtual network operators</i> -- i.e., service providers that lease mobile infrastructure.</p> <p>AI is also giving telecom providers an opportunity to deliver value beyond what's possible with traditional TCP/IP and Wi-Fi approaches. "AI innovations are creating material opportunities for telcos to improve their core business by driving efficiency through autonomous agents running processes, boosting productivity with AI assistants that complement human work in sales, service and the field force, and enabling hyper-personalization through generative AI that produces creative content and powers next-best-action algorithms," said Davide Bellini, Accenture's global data and AI lead for the communications media and technology industry.</p> <p>In the future, he said, this could lead to new business models where telecom service providers combine connectivity with computational power to support enterprise-managed AI that is distributed through edge AI products.</p> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="How AI can optimize and improve 5G"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>How AI can optimize and improve 5G</h2> <p>AI has the potential to benefit 5G in the following main areas.</p> <h3>Mobile device management</h3> <p>The top use case for enterprises lies in improving mobile device management (<a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchmobilecomputing/definition/mobile-device-management">MDM</a>), traditionally a burdensome process that spans service, business logic, and various mobile devices and authentication mechanisms.</p> <p>In an era when mobile devices are increasingly used to access enterprise services, MDM is a growing concern. Telecommunications-generated credentials, including <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchmobilecomputing/definition/SIM-card">subscriber identity module (SIM) cards</a> and, now, electronic variants called eSIMs are increasingly used to support access to enterprise services via two-factor authentication. Yet the traditional SIM architecture championed by legacy telecom companies never addressed the numerous ways these authentication mechanisms could be compromised, including through stolen phones, corrupt agents or poor workflows. AI can enhance visibility into these issues, thereby improving the resilience of enterprise systems.</p> <p>According to Krishna Iyer, vice president and group CTO at GlobalLogic, a software development firm, telecom networks are undergoing a significant shift from reactive, manual operations to AI-driven, proactive, increasingly autonomous paradigms. Here, generative and other types of AI can improve customer care, network operations, business support and software delivery.</p> <h3>Streamlining 5G adoption</h3> <p>Another promising proposition is that AI could streamline the implementation of private 5G networks that span private and public 5G infrastructure. These networks face less interference compared with Wi-Fi but have more complex provisioning of new devices. AI could help overcome these bottlenecks.</p> <p>"Private 5G used to intimidate CIOs because it felt like running your own miniature carrier network," said Sriram Panchapakesan, CEO of telecommunications, media, technology, energy and utilities at Sutherland Global, a digital transformation company. "AI changes that. It's the difference between manually flying a plane and having an autopilot, since the network tunes itself, maintains tight security and adapts to your workflows."</p> <p>With AI helping to streamline the process, companies can spin up a private network in days rather than weeks. Panchapakesan has seen factories use the technology to connect thousands of sensors, while logistics hubs use it to track vehicles in real time, proving private 5G can be practical and scalable.</p> <p>Weighing in on 5G management challenges, Iyer said AI can help simplify and enhance deployments through predictive traffic optimization, automated slice management and proactive anomaly detection. Moreover, recent innovations in GenAI can make operations more accessible in ways that enable network and IT teams to troubleshoot and respond to issues in natural language rather than relying on deep expertise.</p> <p>For example, <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searcherp/definition/digital-twin">digital twins</a> and service-level agreement (SLA) recommendation engines can help enterprises right-size network resources to their needs, whether they involve dynamically adjusting bandwidth or providing ultra-low latency for autonomously guided vehicles and equipment. Innovations in <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchenterpriseai/definition/agentic-AI">agentic AI</a> orchestration could add the ability to diagnose and resolve issues that previously required technical experts or lengthy escalations. "The result is a private 5G environment that delivers higher performance, less downtime and stronger SLA compliance while easing the resource burden on operators and simplifying operations and management for enterprises alike," Iyer said.</p> <p>There is also an opportunity to improve the speed and range of <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/definition/5G-infrastructure">5G infrastructure</a> in challenging environments. "Long gone are the days of sending a text at the football game that never goes through because 90,000 fans in the stadium have completely congested the one tower in the area," Glover said.</p> <p>In another example of streamlined private 5G adoption, airports are starting to use 5G rather than Wi-Fi to improve maintenance, luggage tracking and boarding.</p> <h3>Better telecom plumbing</h3> <p>The most challenging aspect of obtaining the benefits of 5G is improving the underlying infrastructure. "Telecom data is messy and lives in silos, and integrating AI into legacy operations takes patience," Panchapakesan said. "It would be ideal to start with perfectly clean data, but that often isn't realistic. The good news is that AI itself can help clean and prepare the data for other models and agents, and it can enforce governance to keep it clean once you get there."</p> <p>But using AI for this purpose also requires earning trust. Network engineers might feel uneasy about AI making decisions that could affect millions of users. Panchapakesan recommends that enterprises allow AI to assist with data preparation and governance, while also designing systems to explain the organization's choices.</p> <p>A key value proposition for telecom service providers lies in explaining how emerging 5G infrastructure can enhance enterprise sovereignty and control.</p> <p>Bellini sees this as a huge opportunity for service providers. "They can combine network transformation with computational infrastructure and sovereign AI, which puts them in a unique position to deliver a truly complete connected computing infrastructure, which drives efficiency and allows for more effective management," he said.</p> <h3>Enabling decentralized AI</h3> <p>In the long run, AI also holds promise for supporting telecom companies in becoming providers of intelligence by offering networks optimized for AI traffic to alleviate concerns about AI computing capacity. "Generative AI, in particular, is heavily compute-bound," said Frank Long, an associate director at Cambridge Consultants. "Running the largest reasoning models efficiently requires water-cooled data center capacity, using top-end GPUs, both of which are currently in short supply globally."</p> <p>Telecommunication providers operate numerous data centers that can support mobile edge computing (<a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/definition/What-is-multi-access-edge-computing-Benefits-and-use-cases">MEC</a>) locations, which could be repurposed to serve AI systems. However, it would be challenging and expensive to convert those MEC locations to high-capacity data centers because there might not be the local energy or environmental resources to support them, Long said.</p> <p>He sees an emerging challenge for telecom providers in helping enterprise customers create cost-effective, efficient AI applications, given the inevitable hierarchy of computing resources needed for high-powered, water-cooled data centers, mid-power distributed GPU locations and low-power AI running on devices. On the other hand, the same hierarchy could enable enterprises to use the appropriate amount of computing resources at a lower price overall and with the right latency characteristics.</p> <p>The situation is comparable to that of a national utility running an AI-aware monitoring and control system that employs reasoning models for situational awareness, processes large data sets collected from the field and continually refines the live operational digital twin of the network. Such a system could be supplemented by local monitoring, aggregation and control, with AI systems running at edge locations maintaining the health of systems in their geographic area, acting as the body to the monitoring and control system's brain. These could be supported by intelligent sensors using low-powered AI models that work collaboratively to achieve the desired service levels.</p> <p>This vision presents inevitable challenges:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li>How do telecom provider customers ensure that the training data for such a diverse range of AI systems and models is coherent and doesn't require upgrades that result in highly unpredictable outcomes?</li> <li>In a future where AI agents take action, how do you scope security permissions to both empower and control AI systems, especially in highly dynamic systems?</li> <li>How can enterprises empower development teams to create optimal solutions that work across such disparate hardware without being overwhelmed by complexity?</li> </ul> <p>"There will be winners and losers in this emerging landscape, Long said. "The winners will shift from being providers of connectivity to being national, regional and global providers of intelligence. It'll require partnering with AI orchestration platforms and the hyperscalers, such as AWS, GCP and Azure, as both enablers and competition."</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Not a smooth road"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Not a smooth road</h2> <p>Numerous hiccups could slow down the adoption of AI for telecommunications across the enterprise. Bellini observed that many telecom companies struggle with limited capital, immature data estates and outdated legacy IT systems. Added to that are the complexities of building the right capabilities to ensure transparency in both AI costs and decision-making.</p> <p>"Addressing these challenges requires a dual focus, whereby telcos need to modernize core systems and data foundations while also creating governance frameworks that ensure responsible, transparent and compliant AI adoption," Bellini said.</p> <p>Iyer also highlighted challenges with fragmented data, AI model drift and the need to support explainability, compliance, accuracy and scalability across mission-critical networks. Across these various contexts, the old notion of "garbage in, garbage out" in IT systems also applies to many types of telecom ecosystems. However, it's especially relevant for AI agents, which can struggle with poor-quality or incorrect data. In these cases, he said, the transformers used in LLMs could help translate data and improve data quality in more targeted ways than general-purpose LLMs.</p> <p>"The way forward is to unify the data layer, embed responsible AI practices at every stage and focus on closed-loop use cases like SLA optimization, interference detection and churn prevention, where results are measurable," Iyer said.</p> <p>Glover named cost as the most significant issue with AI adoption in telecommunications for enterprise use. "The skill set and technical resources to effectively leverage AI are at a staggeringly high level," he said. In the meantime, organizations will have to acquire expertise that is costly and in demand.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="The future of AI in telecommunications"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>The future of AI in telecommunications</h2> <p>Increasingly, new GenAI techniques are showing promise in helping to bridge gaps across enterprise processes.</p> <p>Explainability, compliance and <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/feature/Sovereign-AI-explained">sovereign AI</a> principles are also essential to ensure that sensitive telecom data and operations remain secure, transparent and ethically managed.</p> <p>Emerging 6G infrastructure promises to weave AI directly into air interfaces, protocols and services. This will support new capabilities using efficient semantic communications, the fusion of sensor data, and streamlined integration with digital twins -- all building on existing 5G AI foundations.</p> <p>Debashis Basak, co-founder and CTO at Highway 9 Networks, a mobile cloud provider, predicts AI will support rapid advances in agent-based architecture, self-improving systems via reinforcement learning, and domain-specific foundation models. These agentic approaches will not only detect and fix issues autonomously but also optimize radio-frequency planning, slice management and service assurance in real time. At the enterprise edge, on-premises AI inference could unlock use cases such as real-time video analytics, robotics and manufacturing.</p> <p>Accenture's Bellini believes agentic AI will continue to expand rapidly across telecommunication use cases. "We're already seeing telcos push toward transforming their connectivity into fully autonomous networks, and the near future will be less about experimentation and more about scaling these technologies successfully," he said.</p> <p>Panchapakesan predicts the next wave of telecommunication will be about orchestration and autonomy. "We're getting close to networks that can predict where demand will spike and pre-position capacity or spot a security anomaly and neutralize it in seconds," he said.</p> <p>Telecom operators and enterprise network managers will test new network configurations in virtual environments before deploying them in production. AI will become almost invisible at the edge and embedded in chips and network nodes, allowing enterprises to run low-latency, high-security apps without worrying about the underlying infrastructure.</p> <p>Glover expects that 5G grids could become fully integrated into cities and roadways, enabling seamless interaction among humans, machines and nature. Smart cities could manage their power grids effectively and help road and highway agencies prepare for disruptive events. In addition, a common language that enables AI systems to communicate with one another could help agentic AI operate at an extremely mature level, he predicts.</p> <p><em>George Lawton is a journalist based in London. Over the last 30 years, he has written more than 3,000 stories about computers, communications, knowledge management, business, health and other areas that interest him. </em></p> </section> AI is helping make 5G networks more resilient, integrated and easy to implement. That makes private 5G networks for enterprises a clearly superior alternative to Wi-Fi. https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/visuals/ComputerWeekly/Hero%20Images/5G-fotolia.jpg https://www.techtarget.com/searchenterpriseai/feature/How-5G-and-artificial-intelligence-may-influence-each-other Tue, 02 Dec 2025 16:07:00 GMT <p><a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/definition/What-is-5G-Advanced-5GA-or-55G">5G-Advanced</a> fundamentally consists of Release 18 and 19 of the <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/definition/5G">5G</a> standard developed by 3GPP, the main standards body for mobile telecommunications. Together, they constitute the two phases of the second stage of 5G's evolution, which focuses on system intelligence, new capabilities and expanded reach.</p> <p>The initial 5G standard (Release 15-17) established the foundation for 5G's enhanced mobile broadband and low latency<b>.</b> In contrast, Release 18 introduces fundamental enhancements in several key areas. A major focus is integrated AI and machine learning (ML) for features such as network energy savings, mobility optimization and load balancing that provide the foundation for more autonomous networks.</p> <p>Release 18 also improves support for extended reality (<a href="https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/What-is-extended-reality">XR</a>), a hybrid of virtual, augmented and mixed-reality applications, by reducing latency and improving throughput. Furthermore, Release 18 refines non-terrestrial networks (NTN) to advance integration of satellite access, and it introduces reduced capability (RedCap) 2.0 for a wider range of low-complexity IoT devices.</p> <p>Release 19 builds upon the foundation of Release 18 by deepening the initial advancements and tapping new technical frontiers to serve as an important bridge to systems built according to the next-generation cellular standard, <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/definition/6G">6G</a>. It continues the trajectory of deeper AI and ML integration, particularly for enhancements to the <i>air interface</i> -- i.e., the wireless link between devices and network base stations -- and expands the capabilities of XR support. The release focuses on further enhancing network performance through advanced multiple input, multiple output (<a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchmobilecomputing/definition/MIMO">MIMO</a>), a multi-antenna approach to improving wireless network speed, capacity and reliability, along with faster data handoffs between the central units that manage network traffic.</p> <p>Other new capabilities in Release 19 include <i>ambient IoT</i>, which aims to support extremely low-power, battery-less devices, and the initial foundations of integrated sensing and communication (ISAC) technologies that will enable the network to simultaneously communicate and sense the environment. Overall, both releases collectively push 5G toward increased intelligence and efficiency to unlock new vertical use cases.</p> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="What is 5G-Advanced?"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>What is 5G-Advanced?</h2> <p>5G-Advanced transforms the network into a more intelligent, adaptable and energy-efficient system. Key to this transformation is deep integration of AI and ML throughout the 5G radio access network (<a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/definition/radio-access-network-RAN">RAN</a>) and core to enable greater automation, self-optimization and energy savings. The standard also brings significant performance enhancements for XR applications, high-precision positioning and massive MIMO -- a dramatically scaled-up version of MIMO -- for improved uplink data rates and coverage.</p> <p>The importance of 5G-Advanced lies in its potential to unlock the commercial value and sophisticated use cases that the first phase of 5G and previous cellular generations could not. It does so primarily by improving reliability and delivering differentiated connectivity through enhanced <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/network-slicing">network slicing</a> and exposure. The focus on energy efficiency addresses critical sustainability concerns, making 5G-Advanced the bridge technology that can realize the broader ecosystem potential of 5G.</p> <p>The current focus of the industry is on the commercial rollout of Release 18, with early deployments already underway by several global operators and a wider rollout of Release 18-compliant networks and devices expected to ramp up through late 2025 and into 2026. This initial phase will emphasize deploying AI/ML capabilities throughout the network, making operations more autonomous, improving energy efficiency by dynamically managing power consumption, and boosting the performance of <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/definition/What-are-eMBB-URLLC-and-mMTC-in-5G-Use-cases-explained">enhanced mobile broadband</a> -- an existing service category of 5G -- with new massive MIMO and uplink capabilities. The primary business drivers for this rollout include expanding XR services and meeting the proliferating demand for tailored <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/definition/private-5G">private 5G</a> networks for industrial automation.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Essential features and innovations in 5G-Advanced"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Essential features and innovations in 5G-Advanced</h2> <p>The key improvements fall into the following eight categories:</p> <h3>1. Improved massive MIMO</h3> <p>Massive MIMO enhancements in 5G-Advanced significantly boost network performance and spectrum efficiency. This is achieved by refining the channel state information framework and improving <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/definition/multi-user-MIMO">multi-user MIMO</a> to support more simultaneous data streams in both directions. Crucial advancements like coherent joint transmission enable distributed transmitters to coordinate signals, improving coverage and data quality. These collective improvements, including planned support for larger antenna arrays in later releases, are essential for meeting the high-capacity and low-latency demands of applications like XR and <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/answer/5G-fixed-wireless-access-market-grows-in-the-US">fixed wireless access</a>.</p> <h3>2. Accurate timing</h3> <p>Accurate timing is essential for 5G-Advanced to enable advanced features like high-precision positioning and synchronized <i>time division duplex</i>, a commonly used 4G and 5G method for sending and receiving data on the same frequency by alternating between the two. 5G-Advanced relies on microsecond-level synchronization between user equipment and the network to ensure optimal performance and reliable massive MIMO <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/definition/beamforming">beamforming</a>. This precise timing, extending into the nanosecond range, is critical for new industrial applications such as robot control and <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/definition/What-is-time-sensitive-networking-TSN-vs-5G">time-sensitive networking</a>, a standard for providing low latency, high reliability and precise synchronization on Ethernet networks. 5G-Advanced is engineered to have a highly resilient time reference that can serve as a backup to the timing provided by a global navigation satellite system (GNSS).</p> <h3>3. RedCap devices</h3> <p>RedCap 2.0, also known as <i>enhanced RedCap</i>, is vital for 5G-Advanced because it bridges the gap between low-power IoT and high-end 5G by offering a middle ground. It significantly reduces device complexity and cost by using fewer antennas and narrower bandwidth, enabling widespread adoption of smaller devices. This makes it well suited for mid-tier IoT applications, including industrial sensors and video monitoring, that require moderate throughput and enhanced power conservation. RedCap provides a pathway for devices transitioning from aging 4G LTE networks and integrates with network slicing to guarantee reliable service for new vertical markets.</p> <h3>4. Mobile XR</h3> <p>Mobile XR is a core driver of 5G-Advanced. It demands extremely low latency, bounded so it doesn't exceed certain limits, along with high capacity to deliver immersive consumer and enterprise applications. The 5G-Advanced standard addresses these requirements by supporting split processing between the local device and the edge cloud, which enables lighter, more power-efficient headsets. New features like L4S -- low-latency, low-loss, scalable throughput -- and XR awareness in RANs help prioritize and manage this sensitive traffic and maintain near-zero delay for real-time interactivity, especially when users are mobile.</p> <h3>5. AI-enhanced RAN</h3> <p>AI-enhanced RAN is important to 5G-Advanced because it introduces the intelligent automation needed to manage exponential network complexity and service diversity. AI algorithms dynamically optimize RAN performance in real time by adjusting beamforming and resource allocation, which is necessary to ensure ultra-low latency for demanding applications like XR. Furthermore, AI is vital for delivering energy efficiency through intelligent traffic prediction. It also enables zero-touch operations and new features like high-accuracy positioning.</p> <h3>6. Precise positioning</h3> <p>Precise positioning is a vital 5G-Advanced capability because it unlocks demanding industrial and public safety use cases that require highly granular location data. This enhancement achieves sub-10-cm accuracy, enabling reliable navigation for autonomous robots and highly accurate asset tracking in smart factories and warehouses. By providing resilient, location-aware service where GNSS is unavailable, this integration of communication and high-precision sensing can extend the network's value.</p> <h3>7. NTN</h3> <p>NTN, which encompasses satellites and high-altitude platforms such as drones and balloons, are critical for 5G-Advanced, as they deliver ubiquitous global coverage to areas that terrestrial networks cannot reach, such as oceans and remote rural regions. NTN provides essential network resilience and redundancy to 5G-Advanced, ensuring continuous communication for disaster recovery and public safety during terrestrial power outages. NTN also expands 5G services to massive <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/iotagenda/Ultimate-IoT-implementation-guide-for-businesses">IoT applications</a> in hard-to-reach locations, such as smart agriculture and asset tracking across vast distances. By incorporating NTN into its core standard, 5G-Advanced unlocks new commercial markets and helps fulfill the goal of a mobile ecosystem that provides connectivity worldwide.</p> <h3>8. Critical services</h3> <p>Support for critical services is a key aspect of 5G-Advanced because it provides the deterministic performance required by important sectors like manufacturing and healthcare. The 5G-Advanced standard significantly enhances ultra-reliable, low-latency communications to ensure guaranteed availability and minimal jitter for real-time applications such as autonomous industrial control. Furthermore, mature network slicing enables dedicated, high-priority virtual networks for public safety and emergency services, making wireless connectivity predictable and trustworthy for those mission-critical operations.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="The road ahead: Release 19 and beyond"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>The road ahead: Release 19 and beyond</h2> <p>Looking ahead, 3GPP Release 19 is slated for a functional freeze in late 2025. It will serve as the crucial bridge to 6G, building on the Release 18 foundation with deeper integration of key enabling technologies. Major trends to watch here include the continued evolution of ISAC, which allows the network to function as a radar to perceive its environment, and further advancements in NTN that enhance direct-to-device satellite connectivity. These features will continue to push the boundaries of network intelligence, latency reduction for time-sensitive applications and the ability of the network to be a holistic service platform, ultimately setting the stage for 6G standardization in the latter half of the decade.</p> <p>3GPP Release 20 is expected to see a functional freeze around late 2026 or early 2027, which will conclude standardization efforts for 5G-Advanced while fully enabling advanced features like deterministic networking and strong, AI-driven mobility. A key milestone during this period is the official start of the 6G standardization journey, with Release 20 primarily dedicated to study items for the new generation's core technologies. Release 21, expected to be completed around 2028 or 2029, will contain the specifications that define the full 6G system. That release is strategically timed for the International Telecommunication Union's target of mid-2030 to finalize the IMT-2030 recommendation that officially brands 6G.</p> <p>However, commercial 5G-Advanced deployments will continue to grow throughout the decade, bridging the gap to the first anticipated commercial 6G rollouts around 2030.</p> <p><i>Ron Westfall is vice president and practice leader for infrastructure and networking at HyperFRAME Research, where he covers topics such as hybrid cloud, AI, security, edge computing, wired and wireless networking, 5G and IoT.</i></p> </section> The interim standard brings a boatload of major improvements to 5G on the way to 6G's planned release in 2030. Learn what they do, their benefits and use cases, and what's next. https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/rms/onlineimages/mobile_g1079454952.jpg https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/tip/5G-Advanced-features-include-accurate-timing-AI-support Mon, 24 Nov 2025 09:00:00 GMT <p><a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/definition/5G">5G</a> hit a major milestone in early 2025, with industry association 5G Americas reporting more than 2.25 billion connections worldwide.</p> <p>The United States and Canada, with 182 million 5G connections, had some of the highest adoption rates in the world, 5G Americas President Viet Nguyen <a target="_blank" href="https://www.5gamericas.org/the-state-of-5g-growth-challenges-and-opportunities-in-2025/" rel="noopener">wrote</a> in the organization's "State of 5G" report.</p> <p>Although 5G adoption is happening at a much faster clip than 4G, the previous generation of cellular technology, the report noted that enterprise adoption and positive business results are not equally distributed.</p> <p>The utility sector, for example, is among the industries where ROI models are still evolving, according to Nguyen.</p> <p>Still, utilities are using 5G to enable numerous use cases, from remote monitoring to predictive maintenance. And while utilities sometimes use public networks, many are implementing <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/definition/private-5G">private 5G</a> networks for the security, control and other benefits they bring.</p> <p>"Utilities aren't buying the next <i>G</i>. They are buying control, coverage and cyber-resilience," wrote Titus M, a practice director at Everest Group who focuses on network services and 5G, in an email. "Private 5G is simply the tool that best delivers those outcomes at scale. For utilities, outcomes such as worker safety, faster restoration, better video and IoT performance, and fewer truck rolls come first. Private 5G happens to be the best fit in many sites because it combines managed spectrum and mobility and local control."</p> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Why are utility companies adopting private 5G?"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Why are utility companies adopting private 5G?</h2> <p>Both the public and private versions of this fifth-generation mobile network offer ultra-fast speeds, low latency and massive device connectivity, said David Witkowski, senior member of IEEE, an association of electrical and computer engineers and other technologists.</p> <p>Public and private 5G both use similar technologies, such as spectrum bands and <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/network-slicing">network slicing</a>. And they both support advanced applications like <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/feature/5G-driving-IoT-innovation-Key-use-cases-and-applications">IoT connectivity and automation</a>.</p> <p>However, public 5G is operated by telecom providers and serves the general population -- consumers and enterprise users alike, Witkowski explained. In contrast, private organizations typically deploy and manage their own <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/definition/5G-infrastructure">5G infrastructure</a> with tailored security and performance standards, making it the better choice for many organizations, including utilities, for mission-critical operations.</p> <p>"If Wi-Fi, wired or public 4G/5G met those outcomes just as well, they'd use those instead, but right now private 5G is the best-fit option," M said.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Benefits of private 5G for utilities"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Benefits of private 5G for utilities</h2> <p>Deploying private 5G offers advantages and benefits over public 5G, private LTE networks and Wi-Fi for all industries, according to several experts.</p> <p>They include the following:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li><b>Connectivity where it's wanted and needed.</b> There are still regions where <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/definition/5G-standalone-5G-SA">5G standalone</a> (SA) networks -- which employ 5G technology exclusively -- aren't yet available and are instead covered by 5G with a 4G core, known as <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/feature/5G-NSA-vs-SA-How-does-each-deployment-mode-differ">non-standalone</a> (NSA). Some regions still have only 4G, and some have no cellular service at all. "If you're in the petroleum industry and working the patch in Texas, cell phone coverage is not that great," Witkowski said. Organizations that need connectivity in such areas could use Wi-Fi, but private 5G is a more reliable and powerful option that supports more use cases.</li> <li><b>Management capabilities.</b> Private 5G enables the owner to manage the network. For example, a utility could assign sensors that monitor critical infrastructure a higher priority than other devices for accessing the network, said<b> </b>Michele Polese, assistant research professor in electrical and computer engineering at Northeastern University.</li> <li><b>Complete control.</b> "You have complete control over your infrastructure, of the underlying bytes and the applications," Polese said. The control extends to end devices, such as handsets deployed in remote locations, which don't have to be upgraded just because the public network was upgraded to new standards. "You don't want those to become obsolete," he said. "You can maintain devices longer than if you were on a public infrastructure."</li> <li><b>Customizability.</b> Private 5G allows the owner to tailor the network to their use cases, coverage needs and the quality of service for different components, Polese said. Moreover, owners can change and adjust that customization as their needs change. "It doesn't have to be static."</li> <li><b>Flexibility.</b> Utilities typically have a lot of legacy technology, some of which is decades old, said<b> </b>Swarun Kumar, a professor in Carnegie Mellon University's electrical and computer engineering department. The control and customization offered by private 5G is better suited for such environments.</li> <li><b>Enhanced privacy and security.</b> Witkowski said private 5G offers what he termed "privacy through obscurity." It's harder to hack private 5G because the equipment is harder to access, and hackers generally don't see the payoff for taking so much time and effort to get into it.</li> <li><b>Strong authentication mechanisms.</b> This is another security and management benefit that private 5G offers, Witkowski said.</li> <li><b>Higher power limits than Wi-Fi.</b> "Wi-Fi operates under a license by right from the federal government, and that means Wi-Fi has a power limitation it has to adhere to," Witkowski said. But private 5G offers higher power limits, which makes it more powerful and enables owners of private 5G networks to put up bigger antennae and point signals farther out. "You can minimize the access points needed but still get to all the nodes you want to talk to, which reduces cost and complexity compared to Wi-Fi," he said.</li> <li><b>Lower costs.</b> Although organizations should expect significant capital expenditure to implement and deploy a private network, the long-term costs could be less than using public 5G, Polese said.</li> </ul> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Use cases for private 5G in utilities"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Use cases for private 5G in utilities</h2> <p>Utilities, like companies in other sectors, are using 5G to drive modernization, support automation and enable process transformation. With private 5G enabling them to create connections wherever they need them on ultra-reliable, low-latency networks, organizations that produce, transmit and deliver electricity, water and gas are employing the technology for a variety of uses, including the following:</p> <ol class="default-list"> <li><b>Advanced and automated metering.</b> According to M, 5G enables the two-way communication required for smart meters and automated readings -- a big efficiency gain for the sector.</li> <li><b>Automation. </b>Private<b> </b>5G supports real-time control and monitoring of facilities such as electric substations.</li> <li><b>Remote monitoring and inspection.</b> This is one of the most prolific 5G-enabled use cases in the utility industry, Polese said. Examples are plentiful. <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/iotagenda/definition/smart-sensor">IoT sensors</a> along water or gas pipelines detect anomalies, such as pressure drops or vibrations, with private 5G assuring that alerts are instantly and reliably conveyed to central operations. Water utilities can monitor tank levels, water quality and pump performance in real time, even in remote areas. Gas companies watch for leaks along hundreds of miles of pipelines. Electric companies can have substation video surveillance and mobile inspection robots. Offshore generation facilities can transmit data on weather and sea conditions and send real-time video feeds to shore. Additionally, M said all kinds of utilities can use 5G to support mobile inspection robots and drone inspections, both of which need the high speed, low latency and bandwidth provided by 5G.</li> <li><b>Remote switching, grid control and grid load management.</b> Utilities can remotely manage grid segments, reroute power and restore service during outages, improving operational agility, Kumar said. For example, private 5G enables dynamic load balancing during peak usage by transmitting real-time data from substations and consumers. The real-time data combined with AI also enables dynamic pricing.</li> <li><b>Predictive maintenance.</b> Kumar said 5G supports the vast amount of data that must be transmitted from the decentralized locations that characterize utility operations to edge or centralized locations for analysis, thereby allowing utilities to predict maintenance needs and prevent failures across larger parts of their infrastructure.</li> <li><b>Field communications and tracking.</b> Private 5G delivers connectivity wherever utilities want to deploy it, enabling communications among field crews and tracking capabilities so that utilities can more effectively manage crews, vehicles and equipment, Kumar said.</li> </ol> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Deployment challenges and considerations"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Deployment challenges and considerations</h2> <p>Utilities encounter various challenges when deploying private 5G networks and using the technology to improve operations, service and safety -- just as organizations of all kinds typically do when implementing any tech-driven initiative.</p> <p>To start, utilities must acquire a license for their private 5G network, Witkowski said. The Federal Communications Commission is the license-granting authority in the United States. Licenses aren't automatic and can come with restrictions and limitations. Witkowski pointed specifically to licenses granted in coastal zones, where the U.S. Navy has priority to use certain spectrums.</p> <p>Utilities also must allocate sufficient funds to buy and implement the infrastructure, which can be a significant cost. "Private 5G is a costly affair," M said.</p> <p>Choosing and <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/tip/How-to-build-a-private-5G-network-architecture">designing the right architecture</a> is another challenge. M said utilities can choose between fully private standalone 5G, or hybrid architectures with public roaming, or parts that are complemented with Wi-Fi. Utilities must also match the infrastructure to the available spectrum. He said he advises utilities to pilot on two look-alike sites before scaling and to treat the infrastructure as operational technology -- not just an IT refresh.</p> <p>Integration with existing systems and coexistence with legacy technologies can present additional challenges. "Private 5G is good for critical operations needing control, coverage and security," M said, adding that utilities should have realistic goals. "Do not think of it as a replacement for good old wired connections. It's a solution to be considered when wired is not an option."</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="What's next"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>What's next</h2> <p>Given the number of use cases and applications enabled by private 5G and the benefits they bring, private 5G adoption by utilities is expected to grow significantly.</p> <p>SNS Telecom &amp; IT, a global market intelligence and consulting firm, estimated in a December 2024 report that utilities will increase their spending on private 5G and 4G cellular networks by 17% over the next three years and account for $1.8 billion in cumulative infrastructure spending between 2024 and 2027.</p> <p>M said he not only sees growth but also an expansion of applications enabled by 5G, with more edge-native use cases, computer vision, autonomous inspections and augmented reality support being deployed by utilities in the future.</p> <p><i>Mary K. Pratt is an award-winning freelance journalist with a focus on covering enterprise IT and cybersecurity management.</i></p> </section> Utilities increasingly choose private over public 5G for its superior control, flexibility and security, enabling applications like automated metering and remote monitoring. https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/rms/onlineimages/iot_g956109394.jpg https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/feature/Private-5G-for-utilities-Benefits-use-cases-and-deployment Fri, 21 Nov 2025 16:30:00 GMT <p>The public safety sector, like other industries, is undergoing a digital transformation as it adopts new technology to become more efficient and effective.</p> <p>The sector has embraced drones, facial recognition software, real-time monitoring capabilities, AI-powered surveillance systems and more as part of that transformation. These systems require reliable high-speed, high-bandwidth networking capabilities, and they need that level of connectivity across dispersed locales, from dense urban neighborhoods to remote regions. For this reason, public safety agencies are increasingly turning to <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/definition/5G">5G</a>.</p> <p>Short for the fifth generation of cellular network technology, <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/feature/A-deep-dive-into-the-differences-between-4G-and-5G-networks">5G surpasses its predecessor, 4G</a>, in nearly every way, delivering faster speeds, lower latency and greater capacity. Those improvements, in turn, enable real-time data transmission and seamless connectivity -- capabilities that enable numerous industries to distribute more automation and intelligence to the very edges of their networks.</p> <p>In fact, 5G, which launched in 2019, is one of the main drivers of growth in public safety and security technology, according to the "Public Safety and Security Market Outlook 2025-2034" <a target="_blank" href="https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2025/07/02/3109333/28124/en/Public-Safety-and-Security-Industry-Outlook-Report-2025-2034-AI-and-5G-Technologies-Drive-Market-Growth-Geopolitical-Tensions-Bolster-Investments.html" rel="noopener">report</a> from ResearchAndMarkets.com. The report valued the market at $581.9 billion in 2025 and predicts it will grow by a compound annual growth rate of 12.2% to reach global sales of $1.63 trillion in 2034.</p> <p>"The public safety and security market is expected to evolve with even deeper integration of AI, edge computing and 5G connectivity. These technologies will support ultra-fast communication, autonomous threat response and enhanced mobility for first responders," the report stated.</p> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="How 5G can be used for public safety"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>How 5G can be used for public safety</h2> <p>5G provides public safety agencies with reliable, always-on communication for mission-critical systems and life-saving services. The benefits include improved situational awareness, faster response times and real-time visibility in areas where first responders formerly could not get up-to-the-minute information. For example, wildfire-prone wilderness can now be monitored with <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/iotagenda/Ultimate-IoT-implementation-guide-for-businesses">IoT</a> sensors.</p> <p>"Public safety is one of the early adopters of private 5G," said Titus M, a practice director at Everest Group who focuses on network services and 5G, in an email interview. "The industry needs communications that hold up under pressure, move with responders and keep mission data flowing when the scene is chaotic. Private 5G checks those boxes by delivering deterministic coverage, mobility and on-prem control with priority and preemption. The result is safer responders, faster incident closeout, sharper situational awareness and reliable video and IoT -- even when the public network is congested or the environment is not conducive to radio frequency. Other options don't really fit the bill."</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="How 5G helps first responders"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>How 5G helps first responders</h2> <p>The low latency, high speed and bandwidth offered by 5G enable a number of use cases in the public safety sector, including the following:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li>Continuous offloading from body-worn and in-car video cameras with real-time video analytics in the field at the <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/answer/What-is-the-network-edge-and-how-is-it-different-from-edge-computing">network edge</a>.</li> <li>Analysis of records and data at the edge, such as in law enforcement vehicles.</li> <li>Using drones for monitoring, with analysis of video at the network edge where the drones are being used.</li> <li>Transmitting on-site data to central locations, such as incident command posts, to improve oversight and support of field operations. As M explained, 5G can send firefighter vitals from thermal equipment and data feeds from helmet-worn cameras to incident command. Another example of a 5G-enabled use is employing drones and robots to map wildfires.</li> <li><a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/feature/5G-in-healthcare-9-benefits-and-use-cases">Delivering telemedicine to off-site locations</a>, including ambulances, with data such as patient vital signs collected on-site and shared with local hospital emergency departments in real time. Hospitals can also provide real-time updates, M said, to provide paramedics and other emergency personnel with critical information, such as status updates on emergency department capacity.</li> <li>Disaster-response support. 5G enables responding agencies to receive real-time data gathered from endpoints that are monitoring disasters such as floods, wildfires and active shooter events.</li> <li>Improved public warning systems and public safety supports. For example, 5G's speed and reliability provide increased assurances that the emergency blue-light boxes and closed-circuit televisions widely used on college campuses to ensure safety can always do so, said Swarun Kumar, a professor in Carnegie Mellon University's electrical and computer engineering department.</li> <li>Enhanced surveillance capabilities and mobile patrol connectivity in a wide range of settings, including college campuses, national borders, and sensitive facilities such as water treatment plants, etc.</li> <li>Next-generation <a href="https://www.lightreading.com/regulatory-politics/fcc-seeks-comment-on-adding-vertical-location-data-to-911-call-info">911 data</a> and video processing, resilient dispatch connectivity and multi-access edge computing-based analytics.</li> </ul> <p>The public safety sector was using 4G or Wi-Fi to enable some of those use cases, including drones and wearables, said Shrinath Thube, a senior member of IEEE, in an email.</p> <p>"But they were limited by lag, signal drops and bandwidth issues," he said. "With 5G, the experience becomes more seamless and reliable. That difference is what turns these tools from interesting tech into mission-critical assets."</p> <p>More specifically, Thube said 5G is powering connected drones for faster search and rescue, real-time video from incident scenes, wearable health monitors for responders and remote control of robots in hazardous environments. Smart traffic systems are also using 5G to clear paths for emergency vehicles. "These use cases help teams respond faster and operate with better visibility," he said.</p> <p>Some use cases can only scale with 5G, according to Thube. One example is drones that capture high-resolution live video, which requires the low-latency and high-bandwidth links that 5G delivers without the buffering of slower network technologies. Another example is mobile robots used for remote inspection in disaster zones. 5G offers public safety officials real-time control and feedback with the robots that wasn't possible with 4G.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="5G, public safety and smart cities"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>5G, public safety and smart cities</h2> <p>5G's performance and reliability are similarly supporting the creation and expansion of <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/iotagenda/definition/smart-city">smart cities</a>.</p> <p>Just as 5G enables real-time data exchange, IoT and endpoint connectivity, along with analytics at the edge in industries of all kinds, it also delivers those capabilities to entire communities, Kumar said.</p> <p>5G supports everything from energy-efficient smart grids, where it enables dynamic monitoring and control of energy use, to air quality monitoring, where the fast network makes instantaneous transmission of environmental data from IoT sensors possible.</p> <p>"Smart cities run on data, and 5G helps move that data faster and more reliably. Think traffic systems that sync with emergency dispatch, or environmental sensors that alert responders to hazards. The faster and more connected the infrastructure is, the sooner first responders can act -- sometimes before a human even reports the problem," Thube said.</p> <p>5G is particularly critical for smart cities' use of AI, he added.</p> <p>"AI makes sense of the data that 5G delivers, like alerts from traffic systems, threat detection from surveillance cameras and predictive failure in infrastructure. With 5G handling the connectivity, AI is the brain that handles the decision layer. Together they let first responders act smarter, not just faster," Thube explained.</p> <p>That's an important ability as smart cities increasingly integrate public safety technologies that also rely on 5G.</p> <p><a href="https://www.smartcitiesdive.com/news/archive-acc-local-governments-are-acquiring-more-public-safety-technology-including-transformative-a/754743/">Smart-city public safety infrastructure</a> includes smart traffic management systems, where 5G connects sensors and cameras for real-time traffic updates and adaptive traffic signaling. It also includes 5G-enabled smart surveillance with real-time video for use in crowd management, safety monitoring and more.</p> <p>"The shift to 5G for public safety is more than just a network upgrade; it's a platform change," Thube said. "Agencies that pair the network with smart devices, trained people and clear workflows will see the real benefits."</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="The limits of 5G for public safety"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>The limits of 5G for public safety</h2> <p>However, the public safety sector faces limitations as it seeks to expand its use of services and systems that require 5G connectivity, while the technology remains far from ubiquitous, even in the United States.</p> <p>"5G has a lot of promise for public safety, but coverage is still uneven," Thube said. "In rural areas or disaster zones, gaps can limit its use. Even in cities, rollout hasn't been smooth, like when airports had to delay 5G activation near runways due to interference with aircraft altimeters. So, while the tech is ready, the infrastructure still needs to catch up in some places."</p> <p>5G might have competition here, M said, noting that to overcome the lack of 5G in some regions, public safety officials are turning to satellite-based networks to gain the required connectivity.</p> <p><i>Mary K. Pratt is an award-winning freelance journalist with a focus on covering enterprise IT and cybersecurity management.</i></p> </section> The drones, surveillance systems and monitoring devices favored by public safety agencies aren't feasible without 5G's high bandwidth and low latency, especially in remote areas. https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/rms/onlineimages/mobile_g967078012.jpg https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/feature/5G-for-public-safety-Improved-networks-for-first-responders Thu, 20 Nov 2025 14:55:00 GMT <p><a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/definition/5G">5G</a> is seemingly everywhere, and with good reason. With so much connected technology in use, it's essential to have reliable wireless infrastructure to power it all.</p> <p><a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/definition/5G-infrastructure">5G infrastructure</a> is the combination of hardware, software and network components that enable and support the latest generation of cellular connectivity. It includes radio access networks (RANs), spectrum management tools, cloud-native platforms and <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatacenter/definition/edge-computing">edge computing</a>, among other things. 5G wireless infrastructure is becoming increasingly software-defined and virtualized, enabling greater flexibility in deployment and management. Enterprises are investing more in 5G infrastructure because it delivers the speed, capacity and ultra-low latency they need for bandwidth-intensive applications.</p> <p>The vendors highlighted in this article represent different approaches to 5G infrastructure. Each vendor's strengths align with different enterprise priorities, whether you're looking for vertical integration and <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/definition/private-5G">private 5G</a> network expertise, or managed services and multi-vendor flexibility.</p> <div class="youtube-iframe-container"> <iframe id="ytplayer-0" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Boa8srjKzCI?autoplay=0&amp;modestbranding=1&amp;rel=0&amp;widget_referrer=null&amp;enablejsapi=1&amp;origin=https://www.techtarget.com" type="text/html" height="360" width="640" frameborder="0"></iframe> </div> <p>Here's a rundown of five companies that offer different approaches to 5G: three established market leaders and two specialists with unique technology offerings.</p> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Ericsson: The end-to-end 5G leader"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Ericsson: The end-to-end 5G leader</h2> <p>Ericsson was named a leader in Gartner's Magic Quadrant for 5G RAN infrastructure for communications service providers (CSPs), <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ericsson.com/en/news/2025/9/ericsson-named-a-leader-in-2025-gartner-magic-quadrant-for-5g-ran" rel="noopener">ranking highest</a> in execution capability. The Swedish vendor says it manages networks serving over one billion subscribers globally and that it expects to account for 40% of mobile traffic by the end of 2026.</p> <h3>Strengths</h3> <ul class="default-list"> <li><b>Market reach. </b>Ericsson is one of four vendors -- along with Huawei, Nokia and ZTE -- that collectively control 89% of global 5G infrastructure shipments, according to Mordor Intelligence, with a particularly strong presence in North America and Europe.</li> <li><b>Commercial reach.</b> The company claims to power commercial 5G networks across five continents and in more than 60 countries.</li> <li><b>Innovation excellence. </b>Deep investment in R&amp;D drives continuous evolution of network technologies and standards development, with Ericsson now holding a leading position in 5G patents worldwide, according to its website.</li> </ul> <h3>Key offerings</h3> <p>Ericsson offers a comprehensive 5G RAN portfolio with energy-efficient multiple input, multiple output (<a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchmobilecomputing/definition/MIMO">MIMO</a>) antennas and multiband radios that are optimized for standalone 5G networks and cloud-native deployments. It supports advanced features like <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/network-slicing">network slicing</a> and dynamic spectrum sharing with a cloud-based management platform that offers unified visibility and control across wireless enterprise deployments.</p> <h3>Enterprise focus</h3> <p>Ericsson serves enterprise customers with its private 5G portfolio, which has dedicated offerings for both office and manufacturing environments. The company works with enterprises in manufacturing, logistics and energy to deploy wireless networks that support low-latency and high-mobility applications.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Nokia: An innovator and private network pioneer"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Nokia: An innovator and private network pioneer</h2> <p>For five consecutive years, Nokia has been ranked as a leader in the 2025 Gartner Magic Quadrant for 5G core network infrastructure for CSPs. It was also named a leader in the 2025 <a href="https://onestore.nokia.com/asset/215022?_gl=1*hn2ao7*_ga*MTEwOTI2NjgxOS4xNzYyOTg2MjQ3*_ga_D6GE5QF247*czE3NjI5ODYyNDYkbzEkZzEkdDE3NjI5ODYyNjgkajQxJGwwJGg2NDE1OTg5MDc.">Market Landscape</a> report by Omdia, a division of Informa TechTarget. The Finnish technology provider offers comprehensive end-to-end network packages spanning radio access, transport, core networks and management systems, with 33% of the global commercial 5G footprint being Nokia technologies, according to Teral Research.</p> <h3>Strengths</h3> <ul class="default-list"> <li><b>Core network leadership.</b> Nokia had 125 5G Standalone core operator customers with 54 live deployments as of Q2 2025 -- the most in the industry, according to Omdia.</li> <li><b>Private network reach.</b> At the start of 2025, Nokia had deployed nearly 900 private 4G and 5G networks globally and is named an industry leader in Omdia's 2025 Private 5G Market Radar.</li> <li><b>Vertical specialization. </b>Nokia has deep industry expertise across manufacturing, mining, ports, airports, utilities, public safety and railways, with products tailored for each industry.</li> </ul> <h3>Key offerings</h3> <p>Nokia sells modular, cloud-native 5G technologies in its AirScale portfolio, which supports both indoor and outdoor deployments, including the Radio Dot System for 2G through 5G mission-critical communications. Its core networks are fully cloud-accessible, covering cloud packet core, subscriber data management, voice core, analytics, charging, policy and network exposure. Its Digital Automation Cloud is an integrated platform that extends functionality beyond typical connectivity to provide edge computing and AI capabilities for industrial applications, with pre-validated blueprints to help companies get started.</p> <h3>Enterprise focus</h3> <p>Nokia serves enterprise customers by improving its private wireless offerings and augmenting them with industry-specific packages built through years of research, testing and validation. Nokia continues to innovate with its edge computing and AI platform for enterprise customers supported by a rich ecosystem that includes partners such as Kyndryl, Telefonica Tech and Verizon Business. The company offers simplified 5G networking packages tailored to various enterprise sizes and requirements.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Samsung: Mobile infrastructure innovator"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Samsung: Mobile infrastructure innovator</h2> <p>Samsung is emerging as a major force in 5G network infrastructure, using its strengths in semiconductor technology and consumer electronics to deliver comprehensive end-to-end 5G products. The company claims to be among the first to develop complete <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/answer/5G-fixed-wireless-access-market-grows-in-the-US">5G fixed wireless access</a> packages, including 5G indoor/outdoor routers, fixed and virtual RANs and AI-powered 3D radio-frequency (RF) planning tools and services.</p> <h3>Strengths</h3> <ul class="default-list"> <li><b>Vertical integration.</b> Samsung is in the unique position of making every type of hardware that is integral to 5G networks, including RF and 5G modem chipsets, radios and core networks.</li> <li><b>mmWave leadership.</b> Samsung has been particularly strong in 5G millimeter-wave (<a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/definition/millimeter-wave-MM-wave">mmWave</a>) technology, which works in a frequency spectrum ideal for bandwidth-intensive, high-speed applications, and it has collaborated with leading industry partners to develop additional 5G products.</li> <li><b>Private network innovation.</b> Earlier this year, Samsung announced it and Hyundai had pioneered the telecom industry's first<a href="https://www.samsung.com/global/business/networks/insights/press-release/0225-samsung-and-hyundai-motor-company-complete-industry-first-redcap-trial-on-private-5g-network/"> </a>reduced capability (RedCap) technology trials, demonstrating next-generation, low-power 5G connectivity for industrial applications in Hyundai's largest plant.</li> </ul> <h3>Key offerings</h3> <p>Samsung's Compact Core is a cloud-native "network in a box" that supports 4G and 5G simultaneously, with migration capabilities between the two. Its products run on standard commercial servers, which it says eliminates the need to replace hardware. Samsung's vRAN and RedCap technology are software-centric private 5G packages designed to enable cost-effective connectivity with reduced power consumption and longer battery life. Samsung also offers three private 5G configurations for any size deployment, including multisite configurations and entire network hardware packages.</p> <h3>Enterprise focus</h3> <p>Samsung provides private networking for enterprises in manufacturing, construction, logistics, oil and gas, offices and education. The company offers products for 4G, 5G, and <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/definition/CBRS-Citizens-Broadband-Radio-Service">CBRS</a> (Citizens Broadband Radio Service) -- the standard for the slice of the wireless spectrum where private 5G operates -- designed for performance, ease of installation and operational efficiency. Samsung also works with cellular network operators and enterprises to implement <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searcherp/definition/Industry-40">Industry 4.0</a> applications.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Mavenir: Open RAN software pioneer"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Mavenir: Open RAN software pioneer</h2> <p>Mavenir provides cloud-native network infrastructure and helps lead global initiatives in Open RAN, a set of standards designed to enable integration between RAN components from different vendors. It claims to have as its customers network operators that service more than half of the world's subscribers. The American company offers cloud- and AI-enabled software that allows operators to build intelligent, automated and programmable networks. Mavenir's software-first approach lets operators mix and match equipment from different vendors.</p> <h3>Strengths</h3> <ul class="default-list"> <li><b>Open RAN leadership.</b> As a founding member of the Open RAN movement, Mavenir has championed the adoption, evolution and use of the technology. Mavenir acts as an end-to-end systems integrator for Open RAN and has offerings that compete with traditional proprietary vendors through open interfaces and multi-vendor interoperability.</li> <li><b>Software focus.</b> Its purely software-based approach is designed to eliminate hardware dependencies and accelerate service innovation for customers across different industries and environments.</li> <li><b>Enterprise flexibility.</b> Mavenir has a partnership with Nvidia to deliver GPU- and SmartNIC-powered products designed to lower power consumption, optimize cost and form factor, and enable flexible deployments specifically designed for enterprise and private networks.</li> </ul> <h3>Key offerings</h3> <p>Mavenir offers a range of 5G products and services that are 100% cloud- and <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchapparchitecture/definition/microservices">microservices</a>-based, as well as containerized. Its full-stack core product supports multi-generational networks (2G through 5G), while the fully containerized IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) offering supports 4G and 5G wireless in virtualized and containerized environments. All its products offer a Control and User Plane Separation (CUPS) architecture, which enables customers to independently scale public and private deployments while maintaining control and security.</p> <h3>Enterprise focus</h3> <p>Mavenir collaborates with partners in the industrial and enterprise segments, including T-Mobile, Imagine Networks and Intel, to deploy end-to-end 5G networks for Industry 4.0 use cases, smart cities and other applications. The company offers enterprise and neutral-host provider (i.e., third-party network infrastructure) options, emphasizing flexibility, low power consumption and ease of deployment, particularly for indoor and dense urban environments.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Cisco: Enterprise-integrated private 5G"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Cisco: Enterprise-integrated private 5G</h2> <p>Cisco brings enterprise networking expertise to 5G infrastructure and delivers private 5G networks as a managed service. The company's experience in Wi-Fi, industrial Ethernet, IoT, <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/definition/SD-WAN-software-defined-WAN">software-defined WAN</a> and cloud-based operations enables Cisco to integrate mobile connectivity into existing enterprise networks. In addition, the company<a href="https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/products/collateral/wireless/private-5g/intel-private-5g-so.html"> </a>established global private 5G innovation centers with Intel so that enterprise customers can test and validate their setups before deployment.</p> <h3>Strengths</h3> <ul class="default-list"> <li><b>Enterprise integration.</b> Cisco provides enterprise-integrated private 5G that works with existing Cisco infrastructure, including Catalyst switches, routers, security products and AI-based ThousandEyes network monitoring. Cisco essentially erases the traditional divide between cellular and enterprise networks for its existing customers.</li> <li><b>As-a-service delivery model.</b> Cisco delivers private 5G as a managed service, which minimizes upfront Capex costs and eliminates the management responsibilities of owning a private network. This approach lets enterprises focus on their core business rather than their telecommunications needs.</li> <li><b>Comprehensive security.</b> Cisco's 5G products integrate with its Identity Services Engine to provide Cisco's zero-trust security approach and enterprise-grade cybersecurity portfolio. It also offers customers unified policy and identity management across their locations.</li> </ul> <h3>Key offerings</h3> <p>Cisco's private 5G service is a managed service that integrates 4G and 5G mobile core, RAN and a cloud-based control center into existing enterprise infrastructure. The control center provides end-to-end management and visibility of private 5G deployments, secure multitenant capabilities, subscriber security information management and authentication, APIs for automation, and continuous software upgrades. Cisco claims the service provides carrier-grade reliability, 24/7 global support, service-level agreement assurance and an intuitive dashboard for provisioning, management and troubleshooting.</p> <p>A unique service of Cisco is its global network of testing facilities in San Jose, Düsseldorf and Tokyo, where enterprises can evaluate, simulate, test and validate end-to-end private 5G use cases, including industrial automation, robotics, edge computing, and IoT before full deployment -- all to reduce adoption risk and complexity.</p> <h3>Enterprise focus</h3> <p>Cisco serves enterprises in manufacturing, logistics, mining, airports, healthcare and education. Its managed service model eliminates the need for enterprises to build and operate cellular network capabilities. Integration with existing Cisco infrastructure reduces deployment complexity and operational overhead for organizations that already use Cisco hardware.</p> <p><i>Julia Borgini is a freelance technical copywriter, content marketer, content strategist and geek. She writes about B2B tech, SaaS, DevOps, the cloud and other tech topics.</i></p> </section> Organizations that are expanding their data centers and networks to support wireless applications need reliable 5G infrastructure. Compare the offerings from five key vendors. https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/rms/onlineimages/iot_g871472636.jpg https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/feature/Top-5G-infrastructure-companies-to-consider-in-2025 Tue, 18 Nov 2025 16:23:00 GMT <p>Millimeter wave (mmWave) is a range of electromagnetic frequencies that exist between microwaves and infrared light. Millimeter waves have <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/definition/wavelength">wavelengths</a> between 1-10 millimeters and occupy the 30-300 GHz range of the electromagnetic spectrum. In the telecom and wireless industry, the definition of mmWave might also include bands starting at 24 GHz, because some <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/definition/5G">5G</a> deployments and Wi-Fi standards that use mmWaves operate there.</p> <p>mmWaves have very short wavelengths and occupy a range of frequencies that have large amounts of unused spectrum. This enables the creation of extremely wide communication channels that can transfer large volumes of data at high speeds. The high <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/definition/throughput">throughput</a> that mmWaves provide makes this frequency range highly suitable for a wide range of <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/definition/bandwidth">bandwidth</a>-intensive applications, including high-quality video transmission, <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/augmented-reality-AR">augmented reality</a>, <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/virtual-reality">virtual reality</a>, radar, satellite links and next-generation Wi-Fi systems. For example, mmWaves are used in some 5G deployments to enhance network performance in areas where existing cellular coverage requires more bandwidth and speed.</p> <p>The mmWave <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/definition/band">frequency band</a> is also known as the extremely high frequency band by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). In the context of 5G, this frequency band is also commonly referred to as <i>5G high-band</i> or <i>high-frequency 5G</i>.</p> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="What is the difference between 5G and mmWave?"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>What is the difference between 5G and mmWave?</h2> <p>5G is a cellular mobile network standard developed by the <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/definition/3rd-Generation-Partnership-Project-3GPP">3rd Generation Partnership Project</a>. It’s also a global standard defined by <a target="_blank" href="https://www.itu.int/en/ITU-R/study-groups/rsg5/rwp5d/imt-2020/Pages/default.aspx" rel="noopener">IMT-2020</a>, an ITU standard for providing wireless broadband communication. To provide full coverage, 5G operates across three spectrum ranges -- low-band, mid-band and high-band. Millimeter wave refers specifically to the high-band range.</p> <div class="youtube-iframe-container"> <iframe id="ytplayer-0" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Boa8srjKzCI?si=wMqcK6ouubqnOBah?autoplay=0&amp;modestbranding=1&amp;rel=0&amp;widget_referrer=null&amp;enablejsapi=1&amp;origin=https://www.techtarget.com" type="text/html" height="360" width="640" frameborder="0"></iframe> </div> <p>In most 5G deployments, the low- and mid-bands can provide broad, reliable coverage. In densely populated areas, however, telecom carriers sometimes supplement these <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/definition/band">frequency bands</a> with mmWaves to minimize latency and handle heavy data traffic.</p> <p>By combining low-, mid- and high-band 5G in a layered spectrum strategy, carriers can balance coverage, capacity and performance. The low- and mid-band frequencies ensure reliable wide area network (<a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/definition/WAN-wide-area-network">WAN</a>) connectivity, and supplemental mmWaves boost network capacity in <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/mobile-hotspot">hotspots</a> known to experience high demand spikes.</p> <figure class="main-article-image full-col" data-img-fullsize="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/networking-compare_cellular_vs_millimeter_wave-f.png"> <img data-src="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/networking-compare_cellular_vs_millimeter_wave-f_mobile.png" class="lazy" data-srcset="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/networking-compare_cellular_vs_millimeter_wave-f_mobile.png 960w,https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/networking-compare_cellular_vs_millimeter_wave-f.png 1280w" alt="An image comparing cellular vs. mmWave. " height="260" width="559"> <figcaption> <i class="icon pictures" data-icon="z"></i>Millimeter wave is the band of frequencies between 30-300 GHz. </figcaption> <div class="main-article-image-enlarge"> <i class="icon" data-icon="w"></i> </div> </figure> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="How mmWaves work in 5G"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>How mmWaves work in 5G</h2> <p>Millimeter waves provide 5G's highest <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchunifiedcommunications/definition/data-transfer-rate">data transfer rates</a> and lowest <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/latency">latency</a> by using large chunks of contiguous bandwidth. This is possible because the portion of the electromagnetic spectrum that mmWaves occupy has more unused spectrum available than lower frequency bands. Lower bands are already crowded with existing services such as TV, radio and 4G.</p> <p>Although mmWave plays an important role in 5G, its frequencies aren't used in every 5G deployment. The chief drawback of using mmWave is that while the frequency band's short wavelengths are highly directional, they're easily blocked by physical objects, and their signal strength <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/definition/attenuation">attenuates</a> or drops off quickly with every foot of distance.</p> <p>While mmWaves enable high-speed, low-latency wireless communication over short distances, their short wavelengths require line-of-sight or near-line-of-sight transmission paths. To compensate, millimeter wave signals in 5G networks are transmitted by small, low-power base stations called <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/definition/small-cell">small cells</a>. Small cells are compact, low-power radio units that operate at very high frequencies and are designed specifically to cover short distances.</p> <p>When a 5G-enabled device is within range of an mmWave small cell, it connects to the mmWave frequencies -- which are typically between 24-40 GHz in most 5G deployments. The small cell acts as a base station and uses a multiple-input, multiple-output (<a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchmobilecomputing/definition/MIMO">MIMO</a>) antenna array to transmit and receive data to and from the connected device. When the device using 5G moves out of mmWave range, the connection automatically hands off to a nearby mid-band or low-band 5G cell. This ensures continuous service.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Does Wi-Fi use mmWave?"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Does Wi-Fi use mmWave?</h2> <p>Millimeter wavelengths are typically associated with 5G wireless communications, but they can also be used for Wi-Fi networks. In fact, IEEE 802.11ad WiGig and IEEE 802.11ay standards already operate in the 60 GHz band, and this falls within the mmWave range.</p> <p>Industry sources also predict that Wi-Fi 8 will use mmWave operations to support high-demand scenarios. Research into this area is already progressing, with the IEEE paper “<a target="_blank" href="https://arxiv.org/pdf/2309.16813" rel="noopener">Wi-Fi 8: Embracing the Millimeter-Wave Era</a>” stating that the incorporation of mmWave band into Wi-Fi 8 would be a "natural progression for an increasingly connected world."</p> <p>The paper's authors expect that by 2028, new frequency bands will be needed to accommodate internet of things (<a href="https://www.techtarget.com/iotagenda/definition/Internet-of-Things-IoT">IoT</a>) devices and real-time applications that require high throughput and low latency. However, using mmWaves to improve data transmissions in Wi-Fi 8 might not be easy to realize.</p> <p>mmWave's line-of-sight requirements, signal attenuation and the need for <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/definition/beamforming">beamforming</a> and MIMO technology in small cells are likely to make the integration of millimeter waves into Wi-Fi 8 technically complex and costly. It's expected that further research will be needed to implement mmWaves at scale.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Advantages of millimeter wave"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Advantages of millimeter wave</h2> <p>Millimeter wavelengths offer the following benefits for high-performance wireless communication:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li>mmWaves can be transmitted over wide channels to improve data transfer speeds and reduce latency.</li> <li>Antennas for mmWave devices are typically smaller than for other frequencies, as antenna size is inversely proportional to wavelength. Small cells can group multiple antennas together in an array and focus radio energy in specific directions to improve signal strength.</li> <li>Sensors that use mmWaves can detect smaller objects and measure distance, velocity and angle with greater precision than lower-frequency radar or ultrasound systems.</li> <li>The short propagation distance of mmWaves allows many access points to cover the same general area without neighboring cells causing interference.</li> <li>In <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/answer/Wireless-vs-Wi-Fi-What-is-the-difference-between-Wi-Fi-and-WLAN">Wi-Fi wireless local area networks</a> (WLANs) like WiGig, the small coverage zones that mmWaves require allow access points to reuse channels across adjacent areas without causing interference.</li> <li>Because mmWaves operate at high frequencies and offer wide bandwidths, they can transmit large amounts of data very quickly. This makes them ideal for real-time, data-intensive IoT applications, such as self-driving cars and robotic systems, that rely on rapid data exchanges and near-instant response times.</li> </ul> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Disadvantages of millimeter wave"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Disadvantages of millimeter wave</h2> <p>Despite the noticeably large increase in data transmission speeds that mmWaves offer, their use has some significant disadvantages, including the following:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li>mmWave signals have a very limited range -- typically only a few hundred meters.</li> <li>Millimeter waves travel primarily by line of sight and are easily blocked or weakened by physical objects such as billboards or office buildings.</li> <li>Atmospheric gases, humidity and rain can absorb mmWave signals and reduce their range and strength.</li> <li>Human and animal bodies contain water, and water absorbs electromagnetic energy. If there are too many people between an mmWave transmitter and receiver, it can degrade signal strength.</li> <li>mmWave signals require line-of-sight or near-line-of-sight, and this can make network planning more complicated.</li> <li>mmWave deployments that use MIMO antennas, beamforming arrays and precision <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/definition/radio-frequency">radio frequency</a> modules are more expensive to deploy than lower-frequency systems.</li> </ul> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Millimeter wave uses and applications"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Millimeter wave uses and applications</h2> <p>Millimeter waves can be used in a wide range of products and services that require fast, high-capacity and short-range wireless communication or high-resolution sensing. Popular use cases for mmWaves include the following:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li>Delivering ultra-fast 5G mobile broadband in dense urban areas such as train stations and downtown districts.</li> <li>Providing <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchmobilecomputing/definition/fixed-wireless">fixed wireless</a> internet, a type of ultra-fast internet over the air, to locations where running fiber isn't practical, such as rural areas.</li> <li>Supporting multi-gigabit data transfers in next-generation Wi-Fi systems.</li> <li>Enabling high-capacity <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchmobilecomputing/definition/wireless-backhaul">wireless backhaul</a> links between small cells.</li> <li>Detecting nearby vehicles, obstacles and pedestrians in automotive radar systems that operate around 76-81 GHz.</li> <li>Scanning passengers and baggage in airport security systems.</li> <li>Inspecting materials and equipment in industrial environments.</li> <li>Building high-bandwidth WLANs and short-range <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchmobilecomputing/definition/personal-area-network">personal area networks</a>.</li> <li>Enabling low-latency communication among industrial robots and control systems in smart factories.</li> <li>Avoiding car accidents in <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchenterpriseai/definition/driverless-car">autonomous vehicles</a> that use mmWave sensors for collision avoidance and adaptive cruise control.</li> <li>Supporting real-time, high-capacity wireless links for emergency response in small, local areas.</li> <li>Observing molecular gas clouds, dust and star-forming regions that aren't visible in optical wavelengths.</li> </ul> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Where is mmWave 5G available?"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Where is mmWave 5G available?</h2> <p>As of 2025, commercial mmWave 5G is available in the U.S., Japan, South Korea, Australia and Italy. The UK, Finland, Singapore and Taiwan currently have pilot or limited deployments in place, and China remains focused primarily on mid-band 5G rather than mmWave 5G.</p> <p>In the U.S., the following three major carriers offer mmWave 5G services:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li><b>AT&amp;T</b> offers mmWave 5G under its 5G+ branding, operating in 24 GHz, 39 GHz and 47 GHz bands. As of 2025, AT&amp;T's mmWave 5G is available in more than 50 U.S. cities, typically covering high-traffic zones such as arenas and campuses.</li> <li><b>T-Mobile</b> operates mmWave 5G in the 28 GHz (n261) and 39 GHz (n260) bands, complementing its nationwide mid-band (2.5 GHz) and low-band (600 MHz) 5G coverage. It uses dual connectivity to combine mid-band and mmWave spectrum for uplink speeds that exceeded 2 Gbps in 2024 field tests.</li> <li><b>Verizon</b> was the first major U.S. carrier to launch commercial mmWave 5G called Ultra-Wideband in 2019. It primarily uses 28 GHz (n261) and 39 GHz (n260) bands for ultra-fast connections in dense urban areas, stadiums, airports and business districts.</li> </ul> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Comparison with other spectrums"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Comparison with other spectrums</h2> <p>mmWaves occupy the highest portion of the radio frequency spectrum used for modern communication. Compared with lower-frequency bands -- including VHF, UHF and microwave -- mmWaves offer more bandwidth and faster data transmission.</p> <p>When considering whether to use mmWave frequencies, it's important to balance the advantages that millimeter waves offer with the need to compensate for signal loss by deploying dense networks of small cells and using advanced beamforming and MIMO technologies to maintain reliable coverage.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="mmWave vs. microwave"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>mmWave vs. microwave</h2> <p>Microwaves and millimeter waves both belong to the electromagnetic spectrum, but they occupy distinct frequency ranges and serve different roles in communication, sensing and imaging technologies.</p> <p>Microwaves are used to transmit data, voice and video signals wirelessly over medium and long distances. Their frequencies -- 300 MHz-30 GHz -- can carry large amounts of information and penetrate obstacles. This makes them ideal for cellular networks, Wi-Fi, satellite communication, radar and television broadcasting.</p> <p>In contrast, mmWaves occupy the 24 GHz -- sometimes 30 GHz -- to 300 GHz range. They can transmit data faster, but their transmission range is short, and they generally require line-of-sight connectivity.</p> <p>Today, microwaves are used for long-range connectivity in wireless systems, while mmWaves are used to boost the performance of data-intensive applications. Together, they enable everything from Wi-Fi to the most advanced <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/252527163/5G-industry-innovating-towards-next-generation-wireless-networks">5G and next-generation wireless technologies</a>.</p> <p><i>Although 5G speeds are significantly faster than 4G, due to the range limitations of 5G, 4G LTE is unlikely to be phased out anytime soon. Learn more about </i><a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/feature/A-deep-dive-into-the-differences-between-4G-and-5G-networks"><i>how 4G and 5G compare</i></a><i>.</i></p> </section> Millimeter wave (mmWave) is a range of electromagnetic frequencies that exist between microwaves and infrared light. https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/visuals/digdeeper/6.jpg https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/definition/millimeter-wave-MM-wave Tue, 18 Nov 2025 15:30:00 GMT <p>eMBB, URLLC and mMTC are three important primary service categories related to <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/definition/5G">5G</a> technology. Each concept represents a use case that 5G networks must meet to reach high data rates and low <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/latency">latency</a>.</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li>eMBB, or Enhanced Mobile Broadband, is a 5G category for high data rates and bandwidth.</li> <li>URLLC, or Ultra-Reliable Low Latency Communications, is a 5G category for low latency and high reliability.</li> <li>mMTC, or Massive Machine-Type Communications, is a 5G category for supporting large numbers of devices.</li> </ul> <p>While the most mentioned aspect of 5G is its speed, 5G networks have more potential use cases other than high-speed <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/definition/broadband">broadband</a> services. eMBB, URLLC and mMTC all help to define the categorical use cases of 5G.</p> <div class="youtube-iframe-container"> <iframe id="ytplayer-0" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/watch?v=QZCmsHdMwdg?autoplay=0&amp;modestbranding=1&amp;rel=0&amp;widget_referrer=null&amp;enablejsapi=1&amp;origin=https://www.techtarget.com" type="text/html" height="360" width="640" frameborder="0"></iframe> </div> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="How does 5G use eMBB?"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>How does 5G use eMBB?</h2> <p>eMBB focuses on fast data speeds and higher capacity for mobile broadband applications. Peak eMBB data rates range from 10-20 gigabits per second (Gbps), but could be slower in practice due to variables such as environmental conditions.</p> <p>When there are many users on a network, capacity needs must also be higher to ensure consistent data rates. eMBB also needs to prioritize high mobility to maintain a consistent data rate. If users are moving around geographically, such as in a car or on a train, their data rate should remain steady.</p> <p>eMBB is suitable for high-definition video streaming, downloading content to a mobile device and virtual reality.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="How does 5G use URLLC?"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>How does 5G use URLLC?</h2> <p>URLLC focuses on providing extremely low latency and high reliability. URLLC offers end-to-end latency of 1 millisecond (ms) between user devices and 5G base stations, with up to 99.9999% availability. In practice, latency can be closer to 5 ms. Compared to eMBB, its data rates are slower, ranging from 50 kilobits per second (kbps) to 10 megabits per second (Mbps).</p> <p>URLLC uses a combination of technologies, including <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/5G-New-Radio-NR">5G New Radio</a> (NR), <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/network-slicing">network slicing</a>, edge computing and frequency management to minimize latency and maximize reliability.</p> <p>URLLC is suitable for any use case that requires low latency and high availability, such as in autonomous vehicles, healthcare and industrial applications.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="How does 5G use mMTC?"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>How does 5G use mMTC?</h2> <p>mMTC focuses on connecting large numbers of devices in an area simultaneously. MTC can connect up to 1 million low-power and low-data-rate devices per square kilometer. mMTC supports lower data rates, ranging from 1 kbps to 100 kbps, with higher latency levels compared to eMBB and URLLC.</p> <p>5G mMTC emphasizes efficiency, wide coverage and lightweight communication protocols that prioritize small <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/definition/packet">packet</a> data transmissions.</p> <p>mMTC is ideal for applications such as <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/iotagenda/definition/Internet-of-Things-IoT">IoT</a> networks, smart city sensors, agriculture and environmental monitoring systems.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="How can organizations adopt 5G technology?"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>How can organizations adopt 5G technology?</h2> <p>Knowledge of these three service categories will help guide organizations seeking to implement 5G NR <a target="_blank" href="https://www.corning.com/optical-communications/worldwide/en/home/Resources/5g-is-here-and-it-is-made-of-glass/preparing-for-5g.html" rel="noopener">into their business</a>, as each is separable into different use cases. For businesses seeking to increase mobile broadband speeds, eMBB is the right choice. In situations where low latency or reliability is a top priority, URLLC will be the right choice. Likewise, for businesses looking to implement a large-scale IoT environment, mMTC is the right choice.</p> <figure class="main-article-image full-col" data-img-fullsize="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/networking-5g_business_use_cases.png "> <img data-src="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/networking-5g_business_use_cases_mobile.png " class="lazy" data-srcset="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/networking-5g_business_use_cases_mobile.png 960w,https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/networking-5g_business_use_cases.png 1280w" alt="A diagram showing seven different 5G use cases, including fixed wireless, remote control and city security. " height="372" width="559"> <figcaption> <i class="icon pictures" data-icon="z"></i>5G has many use cases that span across industries. </figcaption> <div class="main-article-image-enlarge"> <i class="icon" data-icon="w"></i> </div> </figure> <p>From here, organizations can begin to assess their infrastructure and network requirements, as well as the deployment of any necessary compatible devices or sensors. 5G infrastructure typically includes three functional areas that include a radio access network, a core network and an <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatacenter/definition/edge-computing">edge computing</a> network. Security, scalability, and integration must also be taken into consideration.</p> <p><i>Implementing 5G technology within an organization is a significant undertaking. Follow this guide to learn more about </i><a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/Enterprise-5G-Guide-to-planning-architecture-and-benefits"><i>planning for and implementing 5G</i></a><i>. </i></p> </section> eMBB, URLLC and mMTC are three important primary service categories related to 5G technology. https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/visuals/digdeeper/1.jpg https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/definition/What-are-eMBB-URLLC-and-mMTC-in-5G-Use-cases-explained Mon, 17 Nov 2025 16:15:00 GMT <p>Automotive vehicles -- from passenger cars to commercial autonomous vehicles -- have become intelligent devices, and they rely on increasing amounts of computing power and connectivity to operate.</p> <p>A combination of digital technologies, including machine learning, other types of <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/feature/5G-and-AI-What-enterprises-need-to-know">AI and the internet of things</a>, drives these advances in the automotive industry. Among the most critical technologies is <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/definition/5G">5G</a>, the fifth generation of wireless cellular technology.</p> <p>5G connectivity is poised to experience significant growth in the coming years. A report from Global Market Insights valued the market in 5G automotive-grade products at $2.1 billion in 2023 and predicts a compound annual growth rate of 19% between 2024 and 2032.</p> <p>"As consumers and businesses increasingly seek vehicles with advanced connectivity features, the need for high-speed, low-latency communication provided by 5G technology is rising," the report stated. "This demand is driven by the desire for enhanced in-car experiences, such as real-time navigation, infotainment and vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, which improves safety and efficiency."</p> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Benefits of 5G in the automotive industry"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Benefits of 5G in the automotive industry</h2> <p>Each new generation of cellular technology is engineered to improve on the last, and 5G is no exception. 5G brings increased speed and bandwidth to cellular networks compared with its predecessor, 4G, and the <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchmobilecomputing/definition/Long-Term-Evolution-LTE">LTE</a> technology that formed the global basis for 4G networks. 5G also has lower latency.</p> <p>Those features of 5G enable numerous use cases in the automotive sector, bringing several key benefits:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li><b>Faster, more dependable data exchange.</b> This is a keystone benefit of 5G, enabling nodes -- sensors on vehicles, connected vehicles themselves and manufacturing plants -- to share data quickly, consistently and reliably.</li> <li><b>Enhanced and expanded connectivity.</b> Because 5G has higher bandwidth, it can support more connected nodes, more data coming from additional sources and more data being exchanged between nodes, which are essential in <a href="https://www.wardsauto.com/news/archive-wards-it-s-time-to-mandate-v2v-technology-and-do-it-now/797680/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">vehicle-to-vehicle</a> (V2V) and V2X communication. "A car could connect to another car," said Michele Polese, an assistant research professor of electrical and computer engineering at Northeastern University, noting that this is still an emerging capability. "It's called <i>side link</i>, where devices connect so cars can share data."</li> <li><b>New, improved features and capabilities.</b> With faster, reliable data exchange, engineers can deliver capabilities such as <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchenterpriseai/definition/driverless-car">autonomous driving</a>. Car manufacturers can also use 5G to remotely update software on their vehicles. "Updates had been done with Wi-Fi, but those earlier updates weren't that intensive. 5G provides the high bandwidth and low latency needed for updates today," said Octavio Garcia, senior analyst at Forrester Research.</li> <li><b>Expansion of smart automotive manufacturing.</b> Automotive factories use public and <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/definition/private-5G">private 5G</a> networks to support AI and robotics throughout the manufacturing process.</li> <li><b>Increased safety and driving accuracy.</b> Analyses of the data exchanged over 5G networks, combined with machine learning and AI capabilities, enable applications designed to improve vehicle and traffic safety.</li> <li><b>Increased efficiency.</b> 5G creates efficiencies by supporting improved manufacturing processes, optimized logistics and enhanced vehicle connectivity.</li> </ul> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="5G-enabled use cases in the automotive sector"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>5G-enabled use cases in the automotive sector</h2> <p>The low latency and high bandwidth provided by 5G, along with the data exchange it enables, support numerous applications and use cases. They include the following:</p> <ol class="default-list"> <li><b>Autonomous driving.</b> 5G allows for real-time communication between vehicles, infrastructure such as traffic control systems, and cloud computing in which data is analyzed to generate precise decision-making and actions, thereby enabling computers to safely drive vehicles and navigate without human intervention. "The car cannot carry enough compute to truly drive itself around. It needs access to the network because it offloads data to a server in the cloud," said David Witkowski, senior member of IEEE, an association of electrical and computer engineers and other technologists.</li> <li><b>Fleet management.</b> Sensors on connected vehicles transmit data that enables centralized tracking and management of the vehicles. 5G provides the connectivity for sharing not only vehicle location data from GPS but more detailed, real-time information, Garcia said.</li> <li><b>Platooning.</b> V2V communication enables platooning, where vehicles -- typically commercial trucks -- travel in a synchronized, single-file line. "You need low latency as well as reliability for platooning," Polese said.</li> <li><b>Predictive maintenance.</b> The data generated on connected vehicles can be analyzed to determine what maintenance is required, enabling car owners, fleet managers, manufacturers and service providers to service or repair vehicles before a breakdown occurs or performance is diminished. 5G also supports centralized control and real-time diagnostics, which can reduce downtime and improve operational efficiency.</li> <li><b>Smart roadways and infrastructure.</b> With V2X communication, data can move between vehicles and roadway infrastructure such as traffic lights, public safety systems and road sensors. This enables smart systems to create more efficient traffic flow, reduce accidents, support real-time route adjustments and send alerts about hazards and accidents to emergency services.</li> <li><b>Route optimization.</b> In similar fashion, 5G's ability to quickly and reliably move massive amounts of data enables fleet managers and others to optimize routes in advance or in near real time to respond to changing road conditions.</li> <li><b>Intelligent manufacturing.</b> According to Garcia, 5G supports the use of <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searcherp/definition/digital-twin">digital twins</a>, robotics, AI and real-time analytics in manufacturing, boosting agility, efficiency and productivity in automotive factories, while also supporting enhanced safety and quality control measures.</li> <li><b>Enhanced driver and passenger experiences.</b> 5G enables real-time updates of driving conditions, as well as personalized information, services and infotainment for drivers and passengers. The capacity provided by 5G is particularly important for AI applications, such as AI-enabled dashboard cameras, Witkowski said.</li> <li><b>Vehicles as mobile hot spots.</b> 5G's support for internet hot spots is another way it accommodates the growing demand for constant connectivity.</li> <li><b> On-vehicle telematics.</b> Data from onboard sensors that need to be monitored, such as those on refrigerated trucks -- where maintaining a constant temperature is essential -- need 5G's capacity, Witkowski said.</li> </ol> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Key considerations"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Key considerations</h2> <p>The automotive industry has already benefited from 5G, which was introduced in 2019. Experts expect the industry to expand and improve on 5G applications.</p> <p>However, this latest generation of cellular network connectivity is far from universally available. That limits where the automotive sector can deploy applications that rely on 5G.</p> <p>Witkowski explained that some regions have <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/feature/A-deep-dive-into-the-differences-between-4G-and-5G-networks">5G but with a 4G</a> core, while some only have 4G. Pockets of the United States have no connectivity at all. "That's kind of a lowlight, because many of the things we thought 5G could be haven't materialized."</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="The future of 5G in the automotive industry"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>The future of 5G in the automotive industry</h2> <p>Although 5G supports significantly more applications, thanks to its latency, reliability and bandwidth advantages, carriers have not fully implemented the technology across their networks.</p> <p>They lack the financial incentive in some markets because they don't anticipate having enough customers to deliver a positive ROI in the desired time frame, Witkowski said.</p> <p>But the customers aren't there because they can't launch their applications unless 5G is already in place. "It leads me to believe that 5G isn't as much of a revolutionary upgrade as we wanted it to be," he added. "We haven't made true use of 5G yet."</p> <p>But Witkowski and others said they expect that carriers will continue to build out their 5G networks and that more customers, including in the automotive sector, will take advantage of 5G's capabilities. It will happen through the process of using 5G to expand the reach of applications they've already developed and by continuing to develop new ways to harness 5G's power.</p> <p>And while some are looking ahead to the next generation, <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/definition/6G">6G</a>, others suggest it might be worth delaying its anticipated 2030 arrival, given where 5G adoption is today.</p> <p>As for the automotive sector, Witkowski said 5G is proving capable of handling the industry's applications and use cases as they exist now.</p> <p><i>Mary K. Pratt is an award-winning freelance journalist with a focus on covering enterprise IT and cybersecurity management.</i></p> </section> 5G's speed and bandwidth enable numerous applications, from smart manufacturing to autonomous driving, route optimization, predictive maintenance and in-vehicle entertainment. https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/rms/onlineimages/iot_g1204761980.jpg https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/feature/5G-in-the-automotive-industry-Real-world-uses-and-benefits Thu, 13 Nov 2025 12:57:00 GMT <p><a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/definition/5G">5G</a> cellular represents a significant improvement over 4G for IoT applications because it provides a foundational network that can handle the unique and demanding requirements of a truly massive-scale, real-time connected world.</p> <p>While 4G and its IoT-specific variants, such as long-term evolution for machines (LTE-M) and narrowband IoT (NB-IoT), have been successful in connecting millions of devices for simpler use cases, 5G's core design principles address and surpass the limitations of 4G, opening the door for new and more intricate capabilities and applications.</p> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Top benefits of 5G for IoT"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Top benefits of 5G for IoT</h2> <p>The improvements to IoT primarily relate to latency, device density, energy efficiency and coverage, as well as network and ecosystem flexibility.</p> <p>Here's a breakdown.</p> <h3>Low latency</h3> <p>The most critical improvement is extremely low latency, which is the near-instantaneous speed at which data travels between devices on the network. 4G networks have a typical latency of around 50-100 milliseconds (ms), which is fine for streaming video or browsing the web but unacceptable for applications that require immediate feedback. 5G can reduce latency to as low as 1 ms, a transformative leap that enables time-sensitive use cases such as industrial automation and smart infrastructure. This low latency is essential for creating a genuinely responsive and automated IoT ecosystem.</p> <h3>Device density</h3> <p>Beyond speed, 5G's architecture is designed to support a vastly greater number of devices. Where 4G can support around 100,000 devices per square kilometer, 5G is engineered to handle up to 1 million devices in the same area. This massive IoT capability is crucial for <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/iotagenda/definition/smart-city">smart city</a> deployments, where countless sensors for traffic management, utility meters and environmental monitoring need to coexist on the same network without causing congestion.</p> <p>The combination of low latency and massive device density enables real-time data transfer and analysis, which is crucial for applications such as industrial automation, remote control of assets and real-time video monitoring.</p> <h3>Network slicing</h3> <p>5G also introduces <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/network-slicing">network slicing</a>, which allows mobile operators to create dedicated, virtual networks on a single physical infrastructure. This means an IoT application, such as a smart grid, can have its own customized slice of the network optimized for its specific needs, such as high reliability and low latency, without being affected by traffic from other applications. This flexibility ensures guaranteed quality of service for critical IoT uses.</p> <h3>IoT network support</h3> <p>5G cellular support of low-power wide area network (<a href="https://www.techtarget.com/iotagenda/definition/LPWAN-low-power-wide-area-network">LPWAN</a>) standards, including NB-IoT and LTE-M, delivers improvements over 4G by providing significantly better energy efficiency and deeper indoor and subterranean coverage, which are crucial for low-data, long-lifecycle IoT devices.</p> <p>NB-IoT is a cellular-based LPWAN and a key component of 5G's massive machine type communications (mMTC) capabilities. It's designed for low-bandwidth, low-power IoT applications like smart meters, sensors and asset trackers.</p> <p>LTE-M, which is also under the 5G mMTC umbrella, offers slightly higher bandwidth and supports mobility, making it suitable for things like fleet management and wearables. 5G networks deliver improved outcomes for LTE-M, not by replacing it but by enhancing its capabilities and integrating it into a more powerful and flexible ecosystem. Both NB-IoT and LTE-M operate on <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/answer/Whats-the-difference-between-licensed-and-unlicensed-wireless">licensed cellular spectrum</a>, which means governments have allocated specific frequencies to them to guard against interference and ensure performance and reliability.</p> <h3>Enhanced reliability</h3> <p>5G provides a more stable and robust connection, ensuring that mission-critical IoT devices, such as those in healthcare or manufacturing, can operate with consistent, uninterrupted service.</p> <h3>High-speed data</h3> <p>With speeds up to 100 times faster than 4G, 5G enables rapid data transfer for bandwidth-intensive IoT applications like high-definition video applications and real-time data analysis.</p> <h3>Improved energy efficiency</h3> <p>5G networks offer improved energy efficiency, a key benefit for IoT devices that often rely on batteries. By using technologies such as LPWAN and advanced sleep modes, 5G can extend the battery life of IoT devices like sensors and smart meters, making long-term deployments more practical.</p> <figure class="main-article-image full-col" data-img-fullsize="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineImages/iota-data_rates_and uses_iot_connectivity-f.png"> <img data-src="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineImages/iota-data_rates_and uses_iot_connectivity-f_mobile.png" class="lazy" data-srcset="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineImages/iota-data_rates_and uses_iot_connectivity-f_mobile.png 960w,https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineImages/iota-data_rates_and uses_iot_connectivity-f.png 1280w" alt="Graphic comparing data rates of IoT network standards" height="294" width="560"> <div class="main-article-image-enlarge"> <i class="icon" data-icon="w"></i> </div> </figure> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="5G powering IoT improvements"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>5G powering IoT improvements</h2> <p>5G's mMTC capabilities are what enable it to support a significantly higher density of devices than 4G. They are essential for large-scale deployments such as smart cities and factories, where countless sensors and devices must communicate simultaneously without network congestion.</p> <p>In addition, 5G's network slicing feature enables operators to create virtual, isolated networks tailored to the specific needs of an IoT application, ensuring guaranteed performance, security and bandwidth for specialized tasks, which is a significant step up from the one-size-fits-all approach of previous generations.</p> <p>Here are the IoT use cases and applications that have gained substantially from 5G's capabilities:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li><b>Autonomous vehicles.</b> The ultra-low latency and high-bandwidth capabilities of 5G enable <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchenterpriseai/definition/driverless-car">autonomous vehicles</a> to communicate in real time with other vehicles (vehicle-to-vehicle, or V2V) and with infrastructure (V2I) and the cloud (V2C), allowing for instantaneous data exchange crucial for critical functions such as collision avoidance, cooperative maneuvering and dynamic route optimization.</li> <li><b>Manufacturing.</b> 5G -- especially <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/definition/private-5G">private 5G</a> -- enhances manufacturing operations by enabling rapid rearrangement of factory floors, improving worker safety and product quality, and facilitating reliable, real-time collaboration.</li> <li><b>Mining, oil and gas.</b> 5G networks enhance mining by enabling real-time remote control of heavy machinery, facilitating widespread deployment of <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/iotagenda/definition/Internet-of-Things-IoT">IoT</a> sensors for environmental and equipment monitoring, and improving worker safety through low-latency communication for autonomous vehicles and real-time location tracking.</li> <li><b>Healthcare.</b> 5G has transformed healthcare by enabling remote robotic surgeries, facilitating real-time patient monitoring through connected medical devices, and powering secure, high-definition telehealth consultations -- all of which expand access to specialized care, particularly in rural or underserved areas.</li> <li><b>Robotics.</b> IoT-enabled robotics benefit significantly from 5G connectivity due to its high bandwidth and low latency, which are essential for real-time data exchange. This enables robots to make instant, coordinated decisions and perform complex tasks such as autonomous navigation with greater precision and reliability.</li> </ul> <div class="youtube-iframe-container"> <iframe id="ytplayer-0" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Boa8srjKzCI?autoplay=0&amp;modestbranding=1&amp;rel=0&amp;widget_referrer=null&amp;enablejsapi=1&amp;origin=https://www.techtarget.com" type="text/html" height="360" width="640" frameborder="0"></iframe> </div> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="New opportunities and applications 5G brings to IoT"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>New opportunities and applications 5G brings to IoT</h2> <p>Bolstered by 5G connectivity, IoT is set for significant growth over the next three to five years as the integration of AI and <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatacenter/definition/edge-computing">edge computing</a> fuels innovations across an expanding array of industries, including the following:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li><b>Smart cities.</b> 5G can enable smart cities to deploy vast networks of interconnected IoT sensors and devices with more flexibility and intelligence, thereby augmenting real-time data collection and analysis to optimize traffic flow, manage energy grids, improve public safety and streamline waste management.</li> <li><b>Energy and utilities.</b> The energy sector benefits from a smarter, more resilient grid through real-time monitoring and control, which allows for rapid detection and isolation of faults, efficient integration of renewable energy sources and dynamic demand-response programs that optimize energy use.</li> <li><b>Private 5G networks.</b> Private 5G networks can enable a new wave of IoT applications by providing dedicated, intelligent, highly secure and ultra-low-latency networks that are essential for mission-critical operations and real-time automation in industries such as manufacturing, logistics and healthcare.</li> <li><b>Satellite coverage.</b> The continued build-out of 5G networks, including low-band and satellite integration, can bring reliable IoT connectivity to remote and rural areas, unlocking new applications such as precision agriculture, environmental monitoring and asset tracking.</li> <li><b>Precision agriculture.</b> 5G allows for automated monitoring and management of crops and widespread use of drones that rely on instantaneous communication for safe operation.</li> </ul> <p>Thanks to its many advantages over 4G -- especially its massive device density, along with extremely low latency that enables near-instantaneous communication -- 5G marks a fundamental leap forward for IoT to support a truly large-scale, real-time connected world.</p> <p><i>Ron Westfall is vice president and practice leader for infrastructure and networking at HyperFRAME Research, where he covers topics such as hybrid cloud, AI, security, edge computing, wired and wireless networking, 5G and IoT.</i></p> </section> 5G's low latency, massive device density, energy efficiency and flexibility are tailor-made for the networking demands of a future IoT-connected world. https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/rms/onlineimages/iot_g1176495633.jpg https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/feature/5G-driving-IoT-innovation-Key-use-cases-and-applications Wed, 12 Nov 2025 12:04:00 GMT <p>Private 5G is one of those curious technologies that grabs a lot of headlines while being somewhat opaque to people who never had reason to investigate it.</p> <p>It doesn't help that the term <i>CBRS</i> (Citizens Broadband Radio Service) is often used interchangeably with <i>private 5G</i>, despite important nuances, and that the latter is sometimes pitted against Wi-Fi as being a better wireless technology. I'll explain why businesses should be thinking about <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/definition/private-5G">private 5G</a> as an additional connectivity option, explain where it fits in the wireless landscape and introduce several important vendors in this fast-growing market.</p> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Wi-Fi vs. private 5G: How they compare for enterprise use"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Wi-Fi vs. private 5G: How they compare for enterprise use</h2> <p>Many organizations that have long used Wi-Fi know it's not always the right wireless option for a given situation. Think about one use case: stadiums during major sporting events. The Wi-Fi radio frequency environment can become a cesspool of interference from the thousands of personal hotspots in the pockets of fans and the media, leaving stadium operations and critical devices like coaching intercoms unusable. This is just one scenario where private 5G shines with its own spectrum and protocols outside the chaos of Wi-Fi.</p> <p><a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/definition/CBRS-Citizens-Broadband-Radio-Service">CBRS</a> is a Federal Communications Commission-designated 150 MHz of spectrum in the 3.5 GHz band that underpins many, but not all, private 5G networks at a far lower cost than <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/answer/Whats-the-difference-between-licensed-and-unlicensed-wireless">licensed cellular networks</a>. While public cellular networks can support private 5G, using them can get pricey and eliminates the option of handling all your wireless needs in-house.</p> <p>Any private 5G spectrum offering will yield a slew of advantages, including range, resilience, security, predictability and lower latency. Consumers can also expect AI-enabled cloud management, specialized radio hardware and mobile core components specific to private 5G, plus microservice capabilities -- but also somewhat limited spectrum space for client devices.</p> <p>Vertical industries currently benefitting from private 5G include port operations, airports, manufacturing, mining, power utilities and other environments that need strong <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchmobilecomputing/definition/wireless-backhaul">wireless backhaul</a> or client connectivity where Wi-Fi isn't the right fit. Private 5G is least suitable in carpeted spaces where Wi-Fi is already deeply entrenched. For organizations that have realized that wireless technology is situation-specific, the new normal is to use Wi-Fi, private 5G and other IoT-specific wireless technologies simultaneously, with each chosen to meet specific requirements.</p> <div class="youtube-iframe-container"> <iframe id="ytplayer-0" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/UCLtahIJfYY?autoplay=0&amp;modestbranding=1&amp;rel=0&amp;widget_referrer=null&amp;enablejsapi=1&amp;origin=https://www.techtarget.com" type="text/html" height="360" width="640" frameborder="0"></iframe> </div> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Prominent vendors with private 5G offerings"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Prominent vendors with private 5G offerings</h2> <p>Here, listed alphabetically, are seven private 5G vendors you should know about.</p> <h3>1. AT&amp;T</h3> <p>This cellular giant has cultivated a range of CBRS and private 5G options. The company combines its large market footprint and mobile network expertise to enable capable client devices to roam seamlessly from the private side to the carrier side of AT&amp;T, where appropriate. It also has partnerships with companies like Ericsson, Nokia, Microsoft, IBM and Google to provide the various shadings of its offerings. There isn't a lot of public-facing information on how AT&amp;T builds out its individual private 5G environments, so you'll need to contact the company for more details.</p> <h3>2. Celona</h3> <p>Unlike bigger companies on the list, Celona's only product line is private 5G options for local access or <i>neutral host applications</i>, the latter of which refers to shared infrastructure that a neutral host company owns and leases to different mobile network providers. Celona's cloud-based Orchestrator is the AI-driven management platform that controls the company's Edge core appliance for integration with the customer's LAN, with Celona access points rounding out the platform. The Edge is offered as a physical appliance or virtual instance, which provides flexibility for different situations.</p> <p>Celona promises that single-vendor, end-to-end private 5G implementation makes for faster deployment and touts a wide range of network feature permutations with massive scalability.</p> <h3>3. Cisco</h3> <p>Like AT&amp;T, Cisco seeks to take advantage of its well-known brand to get in on the private 5G market. Other legacy network companies, like Juniper, are doing something similar by either developing their own in-house private 5G network components or forming alliances with 5G hardware companies.</p> <p>Cisco sells several routers in its Integrated Services Routers (ISR) series that, along with its ruggedized industrial routers, can support private 5G core operations. Beyond the core, Cisco has a range of modules and edge radio devices that can be cloud-managed in-house or through an MSP. Cisco has always been about providing single-vendor choices, and its private 5G products adhere to that philosophy.</p> <h3>4. Ericsson</h3> <p>It stands to reason that Ericsson, one of the true pioneers of cellular innovation, has private 5G offerings. Like all the vendors on the list, it sells cloud-managed, mobile core-to-edge components that can be used for a wide range of purposes. One differentiating aspect of the Ericsson private 5G story is its 2020 acquisition of Cradlepoint, which added the wireless provider's well-regarded line of cellular routers to Ericsson's portfolio. When Cradlepoint mobile routers are used in other vendors’ private 5G products, Ericsson gets a piece of the action, even when it isn't providing the <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/definition/5G-infrastructure">central mobile infrastructure</a>.</p> <h3>5. JMA</h3> <p>Like Celona, JMA is a pure-play private <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/feature/A-deep-dive-into-the-differences-between-4G-and-5G-networks">4G and 5G</a> provider that works with a customer's existing LAN or wireless LAN environment to bring cellular connectivity to a range of IoT scenarios and beyond. JMA pioneered component virtualization to reduce hardware complexity in private 5G as well as in <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchmobilecomputing/definition/distributed-antenna-system-DAS">distributed antenna system</a> applications, which involve the deployment of groups of antennas to bring cellular coverage to densely populated buildings. The company has also developed its own solid line of products, including radio-layer components and specialized antennas for indoor and outdoor private 5G applications.</p> <h3>6. Nokia</h3> <p>Along with Ericcson, Nokia holds its own in the annals of cellular history with a long-established presence outside the private wireless realm. Nokia claims to have built the first private cellular network back in 2011, and it has strong private 5G market leadership with its Digital Automation Cloud (DAC). As with other vendors, the basic elements of Nokia's private 5G offerings include a cloud management platform -- in this case, Nokia DAC Manager -- along with in-house-developed mobile core and radio offerings in combinations designed for specific private 5G use cases.</p> <h3>7. Samsung</h3> <p>Samsung's private 5G line of products parallels the others on the list, with proprietary AI-enabled cloud management of mobile core devices and <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/definition/radio-access-network-RAN">radio access network</a> components, as well as orchestration specific to the needs of client devices for specific situations. Samsung generally refers to its offering as Private 5G Cloud.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="What to look for in a private 5G vendor"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>What to look for in a private 5G vendor</h2> <p>Given that <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/tip/How-to-build-a-private-5G-network-architecture">private 5G deployments are designed</a> to satisfy operational requirements, the first thing you need from a vendor is for them to understand your goals. If the vendor is talking <i>at</i> you instead of <i>with</i> you, it's a relationship red flag. It's fine if a vendor helps you decide what the final setup might look like to achieve your operational requirements with the least cost and complexity, but if the vendor offers a one-size-fits-all approach that doesn't feel right, move along.</p> <p>It is also important to investigate whether a vendor has longevity, now that private 4G and 5G have been available for several years. Every company had to be new at some point, but you might not want to be someone's guinea pig. Look for real reference accounts that parallel your own case, at a similar scale, and think about how the vendors you're considering might adapt to the future uses you envision.</p> <p>Also weigh the lifecycle aspects and flexibility of any offerings that interest you. How much of the current option is software-upgradable versus requiring ripping out and replacing the hardware? Are dual-power supplies available for critical components? Are there DC power options where you need them?</p> <p>As with other networking technologies, not all private 5G packages are equal, so you should do your homework.</p> <p><em>Lee Badman is a network architect specializing in wireless and cloud technologies for a large private university. He's also an author and frequent presenter at industry events. </em></p> </section> Learn about the different private 5G deployment options and how they differ from Wi-Fi, get a quick overview of top private 5G vendors and know the questions to ask before buying. https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/rms/onlineimages/iot_g1185678708.jpg https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/feature/7-private-5G-vendors-for-businesses Mon, 10 Nov 2025 10:41:00 GMT <p>The convergence of <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/definition/5G">5G</a> wireless telecommunications and AI is creating an era where ultra-fast, low-latency networks work in tandem with machine learning and decision-making systems to bring intelligence closer to where data is generated on edge devices, sensors and local servers rather than relying solely on centralized cloud infrastructure.</p> <p>As enterprises continue their lightning-fast adoption of AI, the use cases, benefits and challenges of AI and 5G convergence will continue to emerge and transform at rapid rates and in ways that defy prediction. "We're still very early in the game as far as the shift from generative AI into agentic AI, from large language models into inferencing," said Scott Lawrence, chief product officer at Verizon Business.</p> <p>This shift will result in a much higher volume of distributed compute power on a variety of devices, Lawrence said.</p> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="How AI and 5G benefit each other"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>How AI and 5G benefit each other</h2> <p>5G brings connectivity that is dramatically faster, with much lower latencies, along with the ability to support many more devices to enable fast responsiveness for critical systems. AI adds the ability to interpret large amounts of data, detect patterns, make predictions, adjust parameters and even automate responses without human intervention.</p> <p>Together, the two technologies enable enterprises to push intelligence closer to the point of decision. The combination of all these advantages allows for real-time interaction and decision-making, the ability to undertake more data-intensive workloads, less transport delay, more reliability and, often, better privacy.</p> <p>Although most experts point to edge applications as ultimately the most dynamic aspect of how AI and 5G will intersect, some experts say most of the action taking place right now is at the data center level. "The data center side of things is where you see AI integrating with 5G," said Joe Madden, founder and CEO of Mobile Experts, a market research firm. "You spend billions of dollars, you build out the Nvidia servers in a centralized place and you do some of this big modeling, and there's a lot of investment going into that," he said.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Enterprise use cases"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Enterprise use cases</h2> <p>Enterprises across manufacturing, healthcare, logistics and telecommunications, among other sectors, are already deploying combinations of 5G networks, generative and agentic AI, machine learning and edge infrastructure. And these projects are not just experimental; many firms are seeing real gains in productivity, safety, cost savings and new service offerings.</p> <p>The following are several use cases in detail.</p> <h3>Manufacturing</h3> <p>One of the strongest enterprise examples comes from Hitachi Astemo's <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ericsson.com/en/cases/2023/ericsson-and-hitachi-case-study" rel="noopener">plant</a> in Kentucky, where Hitachi, Ericsson and AWS deployed a <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/definition/private-5G">private 5G</a> wireless network, along with edge-to-cloud video analytics. The setup enabled computer vision models that detect defects much earlier in the assembly process, inspecting dozens of components simultaneously rather than one at a time, improving product quality, reducing waste and accelerating feedback loops across multiple plants.</p> <h3>Healthcare</h3> <p>In the medical field, 5G and AI <a target="_blank" href="https://carrier.huawei.com/en/success-stories/Industries-5G/Medical/5G-Smart-healthcare-development" rel="noopener">are enabling</a> remote group consultations with high-definition video and rapid sharing of medical image data. Moreover, logistics robots in hospital settings are being used to move medications or supplies autonomously using 5G connectivity to coordinate paths, avoid obstructions and ensure real-time operations.</p> <h3>Logistics and warehousing</h3> <p>Companies like CJ Logistics in South Korea have implemented private 5G networks <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ericsson.com/en/industries/warehousing-and-logistics" rel="noopener">inside warehouses</a> so that handheld devices, sensors, autonomous guided vehicles or mobile robots can work continuously without dead zones or handover issues. By using AI for predictive maintenance of robots and assets, indoor location tracking, and precise coordination of automated flow, these warehouses have achieved significant efficiency increases.</p> <h3>Telecommunications and network operators</h3> <p>Telecom operators are using AI together with <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/definition/What-is-5G-Advanced-5GA-or-55G">5G-Advanced</a> -- which boosts 5G's latency, reliability and energy efficiency while adding AI features -- to build networks that are more programmable and adaptive. For example, companies offer <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/definition/Network-as-a-Service-NaaS">network-as-a-service</a> or service-level-agreement-based slicing, where AI helps to dynamically allocate resources, adjust routing or beamforming and enforce quality for latency-sensitive use cases. Edge computing is built into the network to run <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/What-is-AI-inference">AI inference</a> locally, enabling applications like augmented reality (AR), industrial automation and video analytics to run with very low lag.</p> <h3>Integrated traffic and energy management in a smart city</h3> <p>One notable use case of 5G and AI is in <a target="_blank" href="https://www.gsma.com/5GHub/smartcities" rel="noopener">Incheon, South Korea</a>, where Motov has deployed AI on rooftop units on taxis that use cameras, microphones and air quality sensors to capture environmental and road conditions. The units filter and anonymize the data, then use 5G to send it to <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatacenter/definition/edge-computing">edge computing</a> infrastructure. The system can detect traffic hazards, monitor road conditions, track pedestrian safety and send alerts, while also helping city authorities monitor risks and environmental parameters in real time.</p> <h3>Wireless sensing</h3> <p>The integration of 5G and AI is giving rise to a new approach to wireless sensing that can simultaneously perform communication and environmental sensing -- a concept known as <i>i</i><i>ntegrated sensing and communication</i>. "Wireless sensing: That is what is important for 5G," said Ray Liu, founder and CTO of Origin AI. "We can pick up your gait pattern, the way we walk. We can monitor you; we can monitor sleep; we can protect your home. We can understand if there is a human being there or not."</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Business benefits of 5G and AI"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Business benefits of 5G and AI</h2> <p>Integrating 5G and AI enables enterprises to transform operations by combining fast, reliable connectivity with intelligence that can sense, predict and act. Because 5G vastly improves bandwidth, reduces latency and supports many more connected devices, enterprises can improve responsiveness, efficiency, safety and customer experience (CX) in ways that were not feasible before, unlocking new business benefits and cost savings. Business benefits also include the following:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li><b>Real-time decision-making.</b> The latency reductions made possible by 5G enable AI systems to process sensor, video and telemetry data locally on edge devices or edge servers and respond immediately. For example, they can stop machines if a safety hazard is detected or adjust robotic movements in response to live feedback.</li> <li><b>Massive device and data scaling.</b> 5G supports far greater device density and higher throughput than <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/feature/A-deep-dive-into-the-differences-between-4G-and-5G-networks">older wireless standards</a>, enabling enterprises to deploy large networks of sensors, cameras, robots and IoT devices and to feed their data into AI-powered analytics without congesting the network.</li> <li><b>Automation and operational efficiency</b>. With high-bandwidth links and reliable low latency, tasks that once required human oversight can be automated. AI models can constantly tune resource allocation, anticipate maintenance needs and detect anomalies. 5G lets such systems work over vast areas with consistency.</li> <li><b>Enhanced CX and new revenue streams.</b> Faster connectivity plus more innovative analytics enable more interactive and personalized services, such as AR and <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/virtual-reality">virtual reality</a> experiences, improved customer-facing apps and virtual assistants, along with new business models such as edge-based services and premium service tiers enabled by network slicing.</li> <li><b>Reduced costs and better resource use.</b> AI can optimize the <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/definition/5G-infrastructure">5G infrastructure</a> itself, predicting where maintenance is needed, managing power use in base stations, optimizing spectrum use and beamforming. Combined with 5G's efficient communication, this lowers both operating costs and energy consumption.</li> <li><b>Resilience, reliability and safety improvements.</b> Because AI-enabled monitoring and fault detection can spot problems early, and because 5G ensures reliable communication, systems can maintain uptime, avoid failure cascades and improve safety. For industrial or critical infrastructure, such gains can be significant. Also, security is enhanced when AI can rapidly identify threats and when 5G supports consistent and secure connectivity.</li> </ul> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Challenges and considerations of 5G and AI"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Challenges and considerations of 5G and AI</h2> <p>The path to melding 5G networks with AI systems to achieve the outlined benefits is not an easy one. Building real-time, intelligent systems means grappling not only with technical constraints of hardware, latency and bandwidth, but also with security, cost, operations and governance issues.</p> <p>Among the challenges are the following:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li><b>Infrastructure and deployment costs.</b> Establishing the physical and compute infrastructure needed for 5G plus AI -- including small cells, fiber backhaul and edge computing nodes -- requires a significant upfront investment. In addition, many enterprises do not have internal experience deploying distributed edge architectures, meaning delays, budget overruns and inefficient designs are possible.</li> <li><b>Latency consistency and edge readiness.</b> While 5G promises low latency, in practice, the deployment of edge computing nodes, local processing, optimized routing and resource allocation must all align to maintain consistently low delay. The latency benefits can erode if data has to travel long distances or if edge nodes become overloaded. Many enterprises lack the architecture, tooling and operations needed to fully exploit edge computing.</li> <li><b>Model and resource constraints.</b> AI models, especially large or complex ones, might need pruning, quantization or simplification to run on edge devices. The memory, compute power, energy consumption and thermal limits of edge hardware impose practical bounds that often result in a tradeoff between the accuracy and performance of the AI and the resource cost of running it at the edge.</li> <li><b>Security, privacy and attack surface expansion.</b> Decentralizing processing, increasing the number of endpoints and distributing compute power to many edge devices increases potential vulnerabilities. Ensuring data confidentiality, integrity and protection across devices, network slices and varied hardware is more complex. Regulatory and compliance constraints around data -- especially personal and sensitive data -- add more complexity.</li> <li><b>Interoperability, standards and fragmentation</b>. Because many vendors, hardware types, protocols and frameworks are involved, making sure everything works together is non-trivial. The lack of mature, universal standards in some areas brings the risk of vendor lock-in or incompatible components.</li> <li><b>Skills, operational complexity and change management.</b><br>Organizations often lack staff with the combined expertise in 5G networking, edge computing, AI model deployment and security. Moreover, operating distributed systems raises new challenges in monitoring, maintenance, version management and fault tolerance. As edge devices and sensors proliferate, device count scaling, managing data flow, consistency, latency and cost become bigger problems.</li> </ul> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="The future of 5G and AI"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>The future of 5G and AI</h2> <p>The integration of 5G and AI is poised to radically redefine the technology landscape in the coming years. As 5G networks become more widespread, they will provide the high-speed, low-latency connectivity necessary to support advanced AI applications and to accelerate development of smart cities, autonomous vehicles and industrial automation, among other innovations.</p> <p>Looking ahead, the evolution of 5G into 5G-Advanced and the eventual transition to <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/definition/6G">6G</a>, expected around 2030, will further enhance the capabilities of AI, offer improved performance and enable more sophisticated AI applications. The 6G era aims to integrate AI more deeply into the network, potentially allowing for faster and greatly improved AI-driven decision-making and enhanced privacy features.</p> <p><em>Cynthia Brumfield is a writer, analyst, publisher and instructor specializing in cybersecurity. She is the author of the Wiley book,&nbsp;</em>Cybersecurity Risk Management: Mastering the Fundamentals Using the NIST Cybersecurity Framework<em>.</em></p> </section> 5G speeds up and extends wireless applications in manufacturing, healthcare and other industries. AI adds unprecedented levels of automation, decision-making and analytics. https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/rms/onlineimages/ai_a352095729.jpg https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/feature/5G-and-AI-What-enterprises-need-to-know Thu, 06 Nov 2025 08:25:00 GMT <p>Modern manufacturing is undergoing significant changes, and many manufacturers believe that fifth-generation, or <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/definition/5G">5G</a>, cellular connectivity will be critically important to the future success of the industry.</p> <p>Indeed, adoption of 5G technology is now considered the key to the fourth industrial revolution (<a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searcherp/definition/Industry-40">Industry 4.0</a>), which focuses on improving efficiency and flexibility in manufacturing processes. Achieving these goals requires automation capabilities and seamless exchange of data in an environment where users and devices are always connected.</p> <p>5G provides that environment by enabling high-bandwidth, low-latency and high-capacity wireless connectivity. Not only is 5G connectivity faster, but it is also more secure and stable than previous generations of cellular technology. For manufacturers, the move to 5G technology leads to real-time data analytics that drive increased efficiency, optimized processes, improved flexibility, more safety and reduced costs.</p> <p>Coupled with advanced AI, 5G implementations are enabling manufacturers to cash in on more flexible, efficient and automated processes. They are also taking advantage of AI in applications for real-time quality-control analytics, predictive maintenance, machine-to-machine robotics communication and supply chain optimization.</p> <div class="youtube-iframe-container"> <iframe id="ytplayer-0" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Boa8srjKzCI?autoplay=0&amp;modestbranding=1&amp;rel=0&amp;widget_referrer=null&amp;enablejsapi=1&amp;origin=https://www.techtarget.com" type="text/html" height="360" width="640" frameborder="0"></iframe> </div> <p>Here are 10 of the most important ways 5G is transforming the manufacturing sector.</p> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="1. Industry 4.0"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>1. Industry 4.0</h2> <p>5G serves as the connectivity foundation for Industry 4.0, according to Michael Weller, global practice lead for manufacturing, energy and utilities at telecommunications provider Verizon Business.</p> <p>Industry 4.0 requires a fully digital, data-driven and intelligent manufacturing environment. If Industry 4.0 is the brain, then 5G is the high-speed nervous system, said Vamshi Rachakonda, executive vice president at technology services provider Capgemini, in an email. It is the enabling technology that connects the physical world of the factory with the digital world of software, AI and data analytics.</p> <p>You cannot have a true Industry 4.0 environment with its emphasis on real-time control, predictive analytics and automation without the powerful and reliable connectivity that 5G provides, Rachakonda said.</p> <p>"We see 5G as having a symbiotic relationship with AI in manufacturing," Weller wrote in response to emailed questions. "The technology's low-latency secure connectivity drives Industry 4.0 by enabling smart factories to activate intelligent automation and interconnected manufacturing systems."</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="2. Improved data transfer and decision-making"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>2. Improved data transfer and decision-making</h2> <p>One significant benefit manufacturers are seeing after adopting 5G is the ability to unlock and act on real-time data from the factory floor, Rachakonda said. No wonder approximately <a title="https://www.capgemini.com/insights/research-library/reindustrialization-of-europe-and-us-2025/" target="_blank" href="https://www.capgemini.com/insights/research-library/reindustrialization-of-europe-and-us-2025/" rel="noopener">75% of executives</a> ranked 5G technology as critical to reindustrialization investments for their organization.</p> <p>The reasons are simple: 5G provides a reliable, high-speed wireless network for connecting thousands of machines, sensors and systems. This capability enables companies to streamline their operations, enhance workforce productivity and reduce costs. He offered the example of mining, where companies are using <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/definition/private-5G">private 5G</a> networks to run automated vehicles, which boosts efficiency and improves worker safety.</p> <p>5G also facilitates real-time information sharing across factory floors, meeting younger digital-first employees where they are to help them understand manufacturing processes and learn important skills.</p> <p>Many manufacturers are currently operating in "capture and report" mode rather than "capture and react," Weller said. They're collecting IoT data but not yet turning it into actionable insights in real time. 5G technology addresses this gap by providing the connectivity needed to transmit large data sets from the factory floor, enabling real-time AI and <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatacenter/definition/edge-computing">edge computing</a> integration across business operations.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="3. Flexibility and adaptability"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>3. Flexibility and adaptability</h2> <p>Deploying 5G technology and having more than one networking option enable manufacturers to create flexible, adaptable production environments that can evolve with changing demands.</p> <p>"It enables the seamless integration of intelligent systems that define modern smart factories," Weller said. The technology also significantly reduces environmental impact by eliminating copper cabling, which typically contains 13 tons of copper per million linear feet, and by requiring fewer control systems, thereby reducing power consumption. Using 5G to simplify network architecture enables one cellular antenna to replace up to 10 Wi-Fi access points, he said.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="4. Increased support and longevity for devices and batteries"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>4. Increased support and longevity for devices and batteries</h2> <p>The more that organizations use technology such as 5G and AI, the more that important things, such as battery life of connected devices, are affected, said Jeff Kagan, a wireless industry analyst.</p> <p>"Power has become one of the most vital commodities. Battery power does not last forever. That's why improvements in batteries to keep devices online and working are key," Kagan said in an email interview.</p> <p>The increasing need for power for new technologies like AI is likely to outstrip supply, Kagan said, requiring new ways of thinking and power policies that consider the needs of tomorrow. People do not want to see their electricity bills go up to support AI and other power-hungry technologies, he said.</p> <p>5G connectivity can also provide the following benefits:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li><b>Reliability.</b> Private 5G networks provide a stable, consistent connection that isn't susceptible to interference from other devices, which is critical for preventing business disruption.</li> <li><b>Support.</b> The reliability of 5G enables far more effective remote support. A technician can connect from anywhere in the world and get a real-time view of a machine's operations to diagnose a problem, guide an on-site technician and make adjustments.</li> <li><b>Battery life.</b> 5G's power-efficient design extends sensor battery life from months to several years and enables smaller batteries that reduce waste and lower costs. This is critical for managing the massive number of new devices that IoT sensor technology requires.</li> </ul> <p>"With its low latency and higher capacity, 5G will enable ultra-reliable connections for mission-critical tasks, while also introducing new power demands that can affect battery performance, particularly on older devices," Weller said. "The overall impact will vary significantly depending on the device type, network infrastructure and application."</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="5. Real-time equipment monitoring"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>5. Real-time equipment monitoring</h2> <p>5G's high-speed connectivity enables real-time <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searcherp/definition/supply-chain-visibility-SCV">supply chain visibility</a> and data-driven decision-making while boosting overall equipment effectiveness, machine uptime and secure protection of critical systems. 5G also enables flexible network integration with other connected devices, ensuring uninterrupted communication across supply chain components, Weller said.</p> <p>Manufacturing environments are becoming increasingly visual and data-intensive, which calls for strong wireless networks to support real-time <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchenterpriseai/definition/machine-vision-computer-vision">computer vision</a>, digital collaboration tools and immersive worker experiences. Ultimately, 5G enables manufacturers to quickly respond to changes while maintaining optimal performance.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="6. AR/VR-based remote assistance"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>6. AR/VR-based remote assistance</h2> <p>At the data layer, 5G supports massive <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/iotagenda/definition/IoT-integration">IoT integration</a> by streaming high volumes of sensor data without lag, enabling instant AI insights and harnessing edge computing for faster decision-making, according to Jay Lawrence, CEO of Equus Compute Solutions, a provider of digital infrastructure services, including 5G connectivity. Remote operations become more practical because managers can monitor equipment virtually, conduct digital audits and troubleshoot issues without costly delays.</p> <p>5G technology also creates opportunities for remote sites that use satellite connectivity where fiber infrastructure isn't feasible. These locations are often the most dangerous and technologically behind, so they benefit significantly from enhanced connectivity, Weller said.</p> <p>5G's ultra-reliable, low-latency connectivity creates the essential backbone for interconnected workers, mobile robotics, sensors, scanners, cameras and augmented reality/virtual reality (<a href="https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/augmented-reality-AR">AR</a>/VR) systems that drive the flexible, efficient operations essential for modern manufacturing.</p> <p>"For employees, immersive AR and VR training supports faster skill development, connected tools simplify complex tasks, and seamless data-sharing accelerates collaboration," Lawrence said in emailed responses. "Quality control processes are strengthened by AI-powered vision systems that detect defects instantly, continuous monitoring that enforces compliance and real-time alerts that enable immediate corrective action."</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="7. Reduced security vulnerabilities"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>7. Reduced security vulnerabilities</h2> <p>5G networks provide the connectivity needed to deploy security options that create protective layers around legacy manufacturing systems, addressing vulnerabilities in decades-old operating systems while maximizing machine uptime and productivity.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="8. Smart manufacturing practices"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>8. Smart manufacturing practices</h2> <p>5G enables wireless connectivity for mobile automation, including autonomous mobile robots, automated guided vehicles and material-handling equipment, such as forklifts and pallet handlers.</p> <p>While manufacturers are currently implementing low-risk AI projects in non-core areas due to security and computing concerns, 5G is providing the reliable infrastructure needed to support mobility and real-time coordination of technology in discrete manufacturing applications, such as pick-and-pack operations, pre-inspection and basic assembly, Weller said.</p> <p>Meanwhile, smart factories benefit from the convergence of robotics, AI and IoT into unified systems that enable autonomous operations and scalable, fully automated ecosystems, according to Lawrence.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="9. Edge computing benefits"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>9. Edge computing benefits</h2> <p>5G's true potential is often realized when it is combined with edge computing -- a model where data is processed locally, right on the factory floor, instead of being sent to a distant cloud, Rachakonda explained. The combination of 5G's speed and edge computing's local processing power enables decisions to be made in milliseconds, marking the next major step in creating truly intelligent, autonomous industrial environments.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="10. Reduced overhead costs"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>10. Reduced overhead costs</h2> <p>5G delivers significant cost savings through reduced wired network complexity, lower infrastructure requirements and decreased power and cooling needs.</p> <p>The benefits of 5G extend directly to the bottom line, with <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366627978/AI-driven-predictive-maintenance-gaining-traction">predictive maintenance</a> reducing downtime, lower energy consumption driving efficiency, and fewer infrastructure requirements cutting setup costs, Lawrence said.</p> <p>"Machine productivity is also elevated, as real-time optimization and AI-driven performance maximize throughput while automated updates minimize interruptions," he said.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="How 5G and AI will affect the future of manufacturing"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>How 5G and AI will affect the future of manufacturing</h2> <p>In addition to the benefits that 5G is already bringing to manufacturing, when combined with the capabilities of AI, 5G connectivity will boost data analysis and automation, enabling manufacturers to become even more nimble, efficient and scalable. Manufacturers will increasingly benefit from 5G's low latencies, high-speed data capabilities and unmatched bandwidth.</p> <p>Further, 5G will enable communication among machines, robots and devices on the factory floor to share and act on data in real time. That will allow for greater efficiencies, increased production and decreased downtimes.</p> <p>"The future of manufacturing is about using data to make better, faster decisions, and 5G provides the robust, potentially lower-cost, low-latency connectivity needed to make that a reality," Rachakonda said. "It moves operations beyond the constraints of wired connections and enables the widespread use of technologies like AI, IoT and advanced automation that are the hallmarks of a modern, competitive manufacturing operation."</p> <p>Manufacturers will need such advanced connectivity to support their increased demand for next-generation technologies, Lawrence said. 5G offers unparalleled scalability with its ability to connect thousands of IoT sensors, machines and systems to a single facility, and its reliability ensures mission-critical operations run smoothly, thereby avoiding costly delays and disruptions.</p> <p>"More than just an upgrade, 5G serves as the enabling fabric of the smart manufacturing revolution," he said.</p> <p><i>David Weldon is a freelance writer in the Boston area who covers topics related to IT, data management, infosec, healthcare tech and workforce management.</i></p> </section> 5G's bandwidth, latency and capacity advantages are essential to a vision of manufacturing that exploits AI, IoT and data analytics for greater flexibility and efficiency. https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/rms/onlineimages/map_globe_g1278866306.jpg https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/feature/10-ways-5G-is-transforming-manufacturing Sun, 02 Nov 2025 14:00:00 GMT <p>Most telecom experts agree that the future of 5G technology lies in edge computing, in which 5G wireless networks with distributed computing resources are placed near the "edge" of the network or close to where data is generated.</p> <p>The goal of 5G edge computing is to reduce latencies or delays so that organizations can process more data faster or store data locally for reliability or regulatory reasons. 5G, with its higher bandwidth, provides the connectivity backbone that makes edge deployments much more viable. It brings computing closer to the source, so the two together can support demanding new applications.</p> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="What is 5G edge computing?"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>What is 5G edge computing?</h2> <p>5G edge computing is a paradigm in which computing, storage and network functions are placed closer to users or data sources, such as sensors, rather than being concentrated in remote data centers.</p> <p>"5G is the wireless protocol that we use to transmit over our devices to a tower and ultimately base station," said Jack Fritz, principal in Deloitte Consulting's technology, media and telecommunications practice. He added that combining 5G with edge technology brings more computing power to users' wireless applications.</p> <p>A key architectural model under 5G edge computing is multi-access edge computing (<a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/definition/What-is-multi-access-edge-computing-Benefits-and-use-cases">MEC</a>), sometimes called <i>mobile edge computing</i>. MEC is defined by telecom standards-setting bodies European Telecommunications Standards Institute and Third Generation Partnership Project to provide an IT service environment, including computing, storage and network at the edge, enabling applications and services to run there with less latency, improved bandwidth efficiency and more control over where data is stored. MEC also supports multiple access technologies, including cellular, Wi-Fi and other technologies, so it is not limited to just one kind of network link.</p> <p>The 5G standard contains specifications for how to support edge computing in the 5G core -- that is, a 5G network's central control and management software -- as well as the <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/definition/radio-access-network-RAN">radio access network</a>. The architecture generally <a target="_blank" href="https://www.3gpp.org/technologies/edge-computing" rel="noopener">involves</a> the following:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li><b>Edge application servers </b>deployed at edge nodes to host applications and services.</li> <li><b>Edge enabler clients</b>,<b> </b>which reside on user devices and communicate with edge enabler servers so that the device can discover and connect with edge services.</li> <li><b>User-plane function</b>, which<b> </b>plays a key role in data transfer and packet processing, enabling traffic to be broken out or anchored locally so that data doesn't always have to travel back to core network servers.</li> </ul> <h3>Key components</h3> <p>Edge computing typically involves several components, including the following:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li><b>Edge devices.</b> These are the actual endpoints generating or consuming data. Examples include IoT <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/iotagenda/definition/smart-sensor">smart sensors</a>, cameras, vehicles, smartphones and robots that connect to edge nodes for processing.</li> <li><b>Edge nodes and servers.</b> These include local computing units deployed at cell towers, base stations, on-premises sites or regional data centers. They <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ibm.com/think/topics/edge-computing" rel="noopener">host applications</a> and perform data processing near the source.</li> <li><b>Network infrastructure.</b> This connectivity layer includes 5G base stations, small cells, routers and switches that link devices to the edge and the cloud, ensuring low-latency data transport.</li> <li><b>Virtualization and containerization platforms.</b> These include technologies, such as Kubernetes and virtual machines, that enable multiple applications to run securely and efficiently on shared edge infrastructure.</li> <li><b>Edge orchestration and management systems.</b> These tools and platforms handle application deployment, workload migration, monitoring and scaling at distributed edge sites.</li> <li><b>Security services.</b> These services include encryption, authentication, access control and threat detection, protecting edge nodes and connected devices. Edge security must be able to cover distributed environments.</li> <li><b>Cloud integration layer.</b> This layer of interfaces links the edge with central cloud data centers for coordination, backup and large-scale analytics.</li> </ul> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Benefits of 5G in edge computing"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Benefits of 5G in edge computing</h2> <p>When 5G networks are paired with edge computing, applications can operate with faster responsiveness, higher reliability and greater efficiency than with traditional cloud models. The 5G-edge combination also supports real-time decision-making, enables more immersive experiences and provides the infrastructure for industries such as healthcare, transportation and manufacturing to innovate at scale.</p> <p>Among the benefits of 5G edge computing are the following:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li><b>Lower latency. </b>Because processing happens near the device rather than in faraway cloud servers, response times are drastically shortened. This makes applications like augmented reality (<a href="https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/augmented-reality-AR">AR</a>), virtual reality (VR), remote surgery and autonomous vehicles feasible, since even milliseconds of delay can make the difference between success and failure.</li> <li><b>Bandwidth efficiency. </b>Not all raw data needs to travel across the entire network. Edge computing enables filtering, compression and preliminary analysis to occur locally, which reduces network congestion and cuts transmission costs.</li> <li><b>Reliability and resilience. </b>Edge nodes can continue operating even when connections to central clouds are weak or disrupted. This local independence helps ensure that critical applications, such as factory automation and emergency services, remain available.</li> <li><b>Enabling new applications.</b> By supporting real-time analytics and interaction, 5G edge computing makes it possible to deploy advanced use cases such as smart cities, connected healthcare, immersive gaming and industrial IoT.</li> <li><b>Data privacy and security. </b>Processing sensitive information at or near its source helps organizations comply with data sovereignty laws and reduces the risk of exposure during long-distance transfers.</li> </ul> <p>"From the context of the cyber side, I can now have a resilient network using 5G and AI," said Dave Krauthamer, field CTO of QuSecure, which makes a <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchsecurity/definition/post-quantum-cryptography">post-quantum cryptography</a> platform. "One of the elements we have is the ability to enhance the cryptographic fabric in real time based on threat patterns."</p> <div class="youtube-iframe-container"> <iframe id="ytplayer-0" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/EmmNb0zhvxc?autoplay=0&amp;modestbranding=1&amp;rel=0&amp;widget_referrer=null&amp;enablejsapi=1&amp;origin=https://www.techtarget.com" type="text/html" height="360" width="640" frameborder="0"></iframe> </div> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Applications of 5G in edge computing"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Applications of 5G in edge computing</h2> <p>Among the applications that take advantage of the responsiveness, reliability and efficiency of 5G in edge computing are the following:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li><b>Autonomous vehicles and intelligent transport. </b>Edge nodes near roads can process sensor and camera data in real time, enabling safer navigation, collision avoidance and vehicle-to-infrastructure communication with very low latency.</li> <li><b>Smart manufacturing. </b>Factories <a target="_blank" href="https://5g-acia.org/whitepapers/industrial-5g-edge-computing-use-cases-architecture-and-deployment/" rel="noopener">use</a> 5G edge computing for robotics coordination, predictive maintenance and real-time quality control by processing data from sensors and cameras directly on-site.</li> <li><b>AR and VR. </b>Immersive applications for training, remote assistance and entertainment rely on 5G edge to minimize lag and provide smooth, real-time rendering.</li> <li><b>Healthcare and remote medicine. </b>Wearables and connected devices stream patient data to local edge nodes for instant analysis, while telemedicine and even remote surgery benefit from the ultra-low-latency connection.</li> <li><b>Smart cities and public safety. </b>Video analytics for surveillance, crowd monitoring and traffic management are conducted at the edge to deliver real-time insights for urban efficiency and safety.</li> <li><b>Retail and customer experience. </b>Edge computing enables cashier-less checkout, personalized offers in real time and AR-based shopping experiences in physical stores.</li> <li><b>Energy and utilities. </b>Smart grids and remote asset monitoring take advantage of 5G edge for real-time balancing, outage detection and predictive maintenance of energy infrastructure.</li> <li><b>Logistics and supply chain. </b>Edge-enabled tracking helps companies monitor fleets, shipments and warehouses in real time, improving efficiency and reducing losses.</li> </ul> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Challenges of 5G edge computing"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Challenges of 5G edge computing</h2> <p>While 5G edge computing offers powerful capabilities for real-time processing and advanced applications, it also faces the following hurdles:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li><b>High deployment costs. </b>Building out distributed edge infrastructure, such as servers, nodes and localized data centers, requires significant capital investment and ongoing maintenance.</li> <li><b>Complex infrastructure management. </b>Coordinating workloads across many small, distributed sites is far more complex than managing centralized cloud infrastructure.</li> <li><b>Interoperability issues. </b>Different vendors and standards can create compatibility problems, making it harder to ensure smooth integration of devices, applications and networks.</li> <li><b>Security and privacy risks. </b>With more distributed points of processing, the <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/attack-surface">attack surface</a> expands. Ensuring consistent security across edge nodes is a significant challenge.</li> <li><b>Latency variability. </b>Although edge computing reduces latency, real-world conditions like network congestion and user mobility can still cause delays and disrupt service.</li> <li><b>Skills and expertise gaps. </b>Designing, deploying and managing 5G edge products requires expertise in telecommunications, IT and cloud-native software -- skills that are still scarce in the workforce. For this and other reasons, the powerful combination of 5G and edge computing still has a way to go before reaching its full potential in real-world applications.</li> <li><b>Uneven deployment of 5G. </b>Similar to the latency issues, the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7390/13/16/2634#:~:text=However%2C%20despite%20its%20numerous%20advantages,5G%20in%20evolving%20digital%20ecosystems." rel="noopener">uneven deployment</a> of 5G in the U.S. and other parts of the world can create disincentives for developing edge applications that rely on ubiquity.</li> </ul> <p>"It feels like the handset carriers or even the networks on which these handsets run are probably being disingenuous, where you see 5G show up on your phone and there is no 5G," said Thomas Pace, co-founder and CEO of cloud security company NetRise. "On paper, the benefits are low latency, high bandwidth, better reliability -- all that stuff. Those are all the promises of 5G. I am not seeing them."</p> <p><i>Cynthia Brumfield is a writer, analyst, publisher and instructor specializing in cybersecurity. She is the author of the Wiley book, </i>Cybersecurity Risk Management: Mastering the Fundamentals Using the NIST Cybersecurity Framework<i>.</i></p> </section> 5G and edge computing need each other to reach their full potential. Learn the benefits and challenges of decentralizing compute power and data on ultra-fast wireless networks. https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/rms/onlineimages/iot_a253400028.jpg https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/feature/5G-in-edge-computing-Benefits-applications-and-challenges Thu, 30 Oct 2025 13:26:00 GMT <p>5G cellular networks are poised to revolutionize healthcare operations at urban and rural facilities alike, enabling clinicians to access hospital systems anywhere, with fast and reliable coverage across clinical settings inside hospitals and at remote locations.</p> <p>In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, which accelerated remote patient care and made clinicians and patients more dependent on technology outside of hospitals, <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/definition/5G">5G</a> promises to vastly improve delivery of myriad healthcare services. Everything from remote robotic surgeries and immersive technology for virtual medical training to telehealth consultations will benefit, not to mention AI-powered workflows and large-scale remote patient monitoring using countless <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/iotagenda/definition/Internet-of-Things-IoT">IoT</a> devices.</p> <p>5G can address the deficiencies of the software and devices used in healthcare as well as improve their quality, reliability and security, according to Robin Goldsmith, practice leader for health and life sciences at Verizon Business, a major provider of 5G cellular. It can also help with the industry's chronic personnel shortages, he said.</p> <p>"All the players in healthcare are looking at technology not to replace folks, but to fill the gaps where we don't have enough doctors and nurses," Goldsmith said. "Let's be honest: Wi-Fi networks were not built to handle these types of use cases."</p> <p>While the technology offers promise, the use of 5G in healthcare is still nascent, said Octavio Garcia, a senior analyst at Forrester Research who covers telecommunications technology. "We find that anything to do with wearables, such as cardiac monitors, diabetes monitors and blood pressure devices, have shown advancements. Use cases that use 5G for remote robotic surgeries and teaching sessions using immersive technology are just emerging and haven't generally been embraced by healthcare stakeholders, at least not yet," Garcia said.</p> <figure class="main-article-image full-col" data-img-fullsize="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineImages/iot-agenda-5g_and_iot_uses_in_healthcare-f.png"> <img data-src="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineImages/iot-agenda-5g_and_iot_uses_in_healthcare-f_mobile.png" class="lazy" data-srcset="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineImages/iot-agenda-5g_and_iot_uses_in_healthcare-f_mobile.png 960w,https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineImages/iot-agenda-5g_and_iot_uses_in_healthcare-f.png 1280w" alt="Graphic of 5G IoT healthcare uses" height="280" width="560"> <div class="main-article-image-enlarge"> <i class="icon" data-icon="w"></i> </div> </figure> <p>At its most basic level, 5G is important to healthcare operations because it can transfer large volumes of patient documents, videos and imaging files at <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/feature/A-deep-dive-into-the-differences-between-4G-and-5G-networks">much faster speeds than 4G</a> or Wi-Fi networks. This is possible because 5G comes with extremely low latency, which is a delay in the time it takes a signal to travel between devices on a network.</p> <p>In an industry where patients' health information is a valuable source of insights that drive clinical decisions, the stakes of <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/Enterprise-5G-Guide-to-planning-architecture-and-benefits">adopting 5G networks</a> are high.</p> <p>"5G brings scalable, secure connectivity across tens of thousands of devices, enabling care teams to access systems and collaborate seamlessly inside and outside clinical spaces," said Chris Melus, vice president of product management at T-Mobile, another big 5G provider. "Compared to Wi‑Fi, it delivers smoother handoffs, wider reach and the reliability healthcare demands. That reliability lays the groundwork for smarter, more connected care delivery."</p> <p>One institution that has adopted 5G is Boston Children's Hospital. T-Mobile launched the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.t-mobile.com/business/enterprise/boston-childrens-hospital" rel="noopener">first 5G hybrid</a> (public and private) network in healthcare for BCH in 2024.</p> <p>At the time, BCH was already highly digital and accustomed to telehealth, mobile devices and patient engagement tools like portals and wearables. However, its IT infrastructure couldn't fully support the scale and connectivity those tools required, according to Heather Nelson, the hospital's senior vice president and CIO.</p> <p>"This upgrade solved key connectivity challenges, improved clinical efficiency and positioned us for next-gen innovations like AI workflows and remote patient monitoring," Nelson said.</p> <p>Wi-Fi had served BCH well but was limited to the hospital walls and couldn't deliver the bandwidth or reach that was required, she said. With T-Mobile's 5G hybrid network, clinicians can now securely access patient data on mobile devices from virtually anywhere, whether they're in a patient's room, walking across campus or working remotely.</p> <p>"Patients benefit from faster, personalized care and enhanced connectivity during stays to maintain family and care team contact. And importantly, the hybrid 5G network lays the groundwork for remote care models -- like at-home monitoring and AI-assisted workflows -- that extend care beyond traditional settings," Nelson said.</p> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="5G advantages enable numerous healthcare applications"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>5G advantages enable numerous healthcare applications</h2> <p>5G's faster transmission speeds, lower latency and an increased capacity to support more devices simultaneously can enhance the ways clinicians deliver healthcare to patients. Another key feature, <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/network-slicing">network slicing</a>, enables healthcare organizations to create customized virtual networks for various services, such as robotic surgery, telemedicine and connected ambulances.</p> <p>As a result, 5G enables many use cases in healthcare, including the following.</p> <h3>1. Transforming healthcare facilities into smart hospitals</h3> <p>5G provides seamless connectivity that eliminates the need to move between in-building Wi-Fi and mobile networks, and it merges incompatible IoT radio networks into a single network. This has the potential to transform a hospital's IT architecture into an advanced, distributed digital infrastructure that promises to elevate healthcare delivery in areas such as telehealth, remote monitoring and remote robotic surgery.</p> <h3>2. Improving remote patient monitoring</h3> <p>5G extends a hospital's clinical operations beyond hospital walls by enabling stable connectivity to <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/virtualhealthcare/feature/Benefits-of-using-healthcare-wearable-technology">wearable patient devices</a> that collect and send vital sign data, such as blood pressure, heart rate and blood glucose readings, to clinicians. This advances remote patient care without requiring patients to travel long distances for appointments.</p> <h3>3. Enhancing telehealth services</h3> <p>By providing enhanced speed and bandwidth to support ultra-high-definition video, 5G provides clinicians with reliable virtual connectivity and the ability to conduct virtual consultations on monitors that show clear images, thereby enabling doctors to provide better diagnoses in areas such as dermatology, wound care and ophthalmology.</p> <h3>4. Improving remote robotic surgery</h3> <p>By providing latency as low as 1 millisecond, along with reliable, high-speed network connectivity over long distances, 5G makes it possible for surgeons to control robotic instruments while performing complex procedures remotely.</p> <h3>5. Enhancing virtual reality and augmented reality for consultations</h3> <p>By delivering high bandwidth with low latency, 5G networks can process the voluminous data of AR/VR environments that stream the video and 3D holographic images used in medical imaging. 5G thus provides the foundation for applying AR/VR technology to areas such as surgical planning and guidance, remote collaboration and interventional radiology.</p> <h3>6. Enhancing medical training</h3> <p>5G also facilitates the use of high-fidelity AR/VR experiences for realistic, immersive and interactive simulations used in medical training.</p> <h3>7. Strengthening pharmacists' ability to monitor patients</h3> <p>Pharmacists can use fast, reliable 5G networks to remotely track the vital signs and medication use of patients equipped with connected devices in real time. They can then use the information to provide proactive evaluations and interventions.</p> <h3>8. Facilitating AI and quantum computing in healthcare</h3> <p>The significantly greater throughput and lower latency of 5G versus 4G can advance the use of <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/healthtechanalytics/feature/AI-in-healthcare-A-guide-to-improving-patient-care-with-AI">AI in several healthcare settings</a>. For example, faster transmission of high volumes of complex medical text, images and videos helps AI systems analyze patient data, which in turn can speed up clinicians' ability to create treatment plans that lead to better patient outcomes. On the <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/quantum-computing">quantum computing</a> front, 5G networks can improve the speed at which new therapies are developed, and scientists can more accurately predict how drugs will interact with their biological targets as a result.</p> <h3>9. Advancing ambulatory care</h3> <p>5G could turn ambulances into smart mobile care vehicles equipped with high-definition video streaming and the ability to simultaneously transmit patient vital signs, as well as images such as CT scans. Such capabilities would enable the emergency team at the hospital to participate in a patient's care while en route and prepare for their arrival.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Challenges of adopting 5G in healthcare"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Challenges of adopting 5G in healthcare</h2> <p>While there are numerous benefits to adopting 5G, there are also many drawbacks when it comes to implementing the technology.</p> <p>According to Forrester's Garcia, some healthcare stakeholders in hospitals whose departments depend less on remote or mobile connectivity are against implementing <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/definition/private-5G">private 5G</a>, which provides 5G performance but restricts access, when their Wi-Fi systems or 4G networks already work well.</p> <p>He said some departments don't understand 5G, won't make it a priority or are just against it. The heads of intensive care units give the most pushback and strongly request that their networks not be touched. "Another problem is that the return on investment is not well understood, so it's a big challenge for healthcare stakeholders to receive budgets for this new 5G implementation," Garcia said.</p> <p>Nelson of Boston Children's Hospital said 5G adoption comes with real challenges that are driven by the healthcare industry's high standards for security and reliability.</p> <p>"Extending secure connectivity beyond hospital walls was previously difficult without compromise," Nelson said. "Many medical devices still aren't 5G-ready, and moving core systems like [electronic medical records] to the cloud requires tight coordination across IT, clinical teams and leadership. These hurdles are significant, but solving them is essential to building a scalable infrastructure for the future of care."</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Future of healthcare technology"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Future of healthcare technology</h2> <p>Goldsmith said that as new hospitals are built and others upgrade their aging infrastructure, a growing number have started to adopt 5G, and interest in the platform is accelerating.</p> <p>"They want 5G technology to future-proof those facilities," he said. "They are looking at how they can leverage 5G networks to bring to life those use cases they want to have happen."</p> <p>But that 5G future might not last as long as they think.</p> <p>The sixth generation of cellular technology, <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/definition/6G">6G</a>, promises significant improvements over 5G's latency, transmission speed and capacity advantages. 6G, which is expected to be available by around 2030, should accelerate advances in wireless image transfer and the use of AI in digital healthcare. It also has a larger capacity to accommodate dense deployments of IoT devices and sensors for improved patient monitoring and equipment maintenance.</p> <p><i>Nicole Lewis is an independent business and technology journalist who covers public policy, technology and business issues.</i></p> </section> 5G cellular's low latency and broad scalability have huge implications for healthcare, from real-time patient monitoring, to remote diagnosis and surgery, to fast medical imaging. https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/rms/onlineimages/virtual%20health_a702120815.jpeg https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/feature/5G-in-healthcare-9-benefits-and-use-cases Tue, 07 Oct 2025 16:38:00 GMT <p>Multi-user MIMO (MU-MIMO) is a wireless communication technology that uses multiple antennas to improve communication by creating multiple connections to the same device simultaneously. <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchmobilecomputing/definition/MIMO">MIMO</a> is an acronym that stands for <i>multiple input, multiple output</i>.</p> <p>MU-MIMO is common in routers and works with mobile devices, such as smartphones and laptops. The technology supports environments where multiple users access the same wireless network at once.</p> <p>Typically, when many users connect to the same router, congestion builds up. The router services the first device's requests, while the other devices wait. The waiting time for each device generally isn't long, but it builds up with enough devices. MU-MIMO helps relieve this potential congestion by creating multiple device connections, <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/feature/Top-ten-ways-to-optimize-network-performance">increasing network efficiency</a>.</p> <p>MU-MIMO takes advantage of multipath, which is when a radio signal reflects and bounces around surrounding objects so it's picked up by a receiver in a user's device at slightly different times and angles. MU-MIMO typically has multiple antennas at the signal's transmit end and one antenna at the receiving end.</p> <p>MU-MIMO devices separate <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/definition/bandwidth">bandwidth</a> into individual streams that share an equal connection. These streams typically divide as 2x2, 3x3, 4x4 or 8x8, which refers to the number of streams. The data streams directly to one device, meaning an MU-MIMO router only sends and receives data from one device at a time.</p> <figure class="main-article-image full-col" data-img-fullsize="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/networking-mu_mimo.png"> <img data-src="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/networking-mu_mimo_mobile.png" class="lazy" data-srcset="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/networking-mu_mimo_mobile.png 960w,https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/networking-mu_mimo.png 1280w" alt="Image comparing the differences between multi-user MIMO and single-user MIMO." height="330" width="559"> <figcaption> <i class="icon pictures" data-icon="z"></i>Compare MU-MIMO with single-user MIMO. </figcaption> <div class="main-article-image-enlarge"> <i class="icon" data-icon="w"></i> </div> </figure> <p>Network pros use algorithms to enable fair access to multiple devices to an access point (AP). Initially, only routers supported MU-MIMO, but as time went on, other endpoint devices caught up.</p> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Types of MU-MIMO"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Types of MU-MIMO</h2> <p>Each type of MU-MIMO has its own use case. The following are some examples of MU-MIMO:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li><b>MIMO multiple-access channels.</b> Network pros use MIMO MAC in uplink scenarios. In MIMO MAC, the receiver performs most of the processing and requires large uplink capacity levels.</li> <li><b>MIMO broadcast channels.</b> MIMO broadcast channels enable more <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/definition/throughput">throughput</a>.</li> <li><b>Cross-layer MIMO.</b> Cross-layer MIMO improves MIMO link performance by fixing problems when employing MIMO configurations.</li> <li><b>Dirty paper coding.</b> Dirty paper coding is a technique that enables data to move through channels with interference more efficiently.</li> <li><b>Cooperative MIMO.</b> Cooperative MIMO uses distributed antennas belonging to other users instead of a logical terminal.</li> </ul> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Benefits of MU-MIMO"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Benefits of MU-MIMO</h2> <p>MU-MIMO benefits from its construction and operations in the following ways:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li>Uses <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/definition/beamforming">beamforming</a> to direct signals toward a wireless device.</li> <li>Decreases the time each device waits for signals.</li> <li>Increases the user's router capacity and efficiency.</li> <li>Maintains performance, despite antenna correlation and channel rank loss.</li> <li>Centralizes processing with APs.</li> <li>Eliminates the need for multiple antennas on user devices.</li> <li>Improves performance on devices connected to an MU-MIMO network by reducing wait times.</li> <li>Improves video playback streams and eliminates some buffering or lower video quality.</li> </ul> </section> Multi-user MIMO (MU-MIMO) is a wireless communication technology that uses multiple antennas to improve communication by creating multiple connections to the same device simultaneously. https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/visuals/digdeeper/4.jpg https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/definition/multi-user-MIMO Tue, 15 Jul 2025 09:00:00 GMT <p>A SIM card, also known as a subscriber identity module, is a <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchsecurity/definition/smart-card">smart card</a> that stores the information necessary for a <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchmobilecomputing/definition/smartphone">smartphone</a> to connect to a mobile network.</p> <p>SIM cards contain data including user identity, location, phone number, network authorization, personal security keys, contact lists and stored text messages. They enable a device to be identified and authenticated on the network.</p> <p>Without a SIM card, some phones could not make calls, connect to internet services such as 4G Long-Term Evolution (<a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchmobilecomputing/definition/Long-Term-Evolution-LTE">LTE</a>) and <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/definition/5G">5G</a>, or send Short Message Service (<a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchmobilecomputing/definition/Short-Message-Service">SMS</a>) messages. SIM cards are removable and can store from 32 to 128 kilobytes of data.</p> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="The foundation for cellular communications"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>The foundation for cellular communications</h2> <p>Two distinct technologies formed the foundation for 2G and 3G networks, but have been phased out in the U.S. in recent years in favor of newer technologies such as 4G LTE and 5G: Global System for Mobile Communication (<a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchmobilecomputing/definition/GSM">GSM</a>) and Code Division Multiple Access (<a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/definition/CDMA-Code-Division-Multiple-Access">CDMA</a>). GSM, which was used by network carriers such as AT&amp;T and T-Mobile, enabled users to remove their SIM cards from their devices and move them to other mobile devices, preserving their data and contacts.</p> <p>CDMA-enabled phones did not need a SIM card because they used an electronic serial number (ESN). However, users who had a phone with an ESN could not switch between devices. Network carriers such as Sprint and Verizon used CDMA for their 2G and 3G networks, but phased out these technologies in 2022 in favor of 4G LTE and 5G.</p> <p>While carriers like T-Mobile and Verizon no longer require SIM cards, these cards are still present in devices operating on their networks. The transition to 4G LTE and 5G requires SIM cards for accessing and authenticating on these networks. Although these newer technologies are now dominant, GSM and CDMA laid the foundation for modern cellular communication.</p> <p>Both technologies established digital standards and made key contributions to global interoperability. Although providers such as Vodafone have also phased out the use of 3G in European markets, they still use 2G for voice calls and messaging. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.digi.com/blog/post/2g-3g-4g-lte-network-shutdown-updates" rel="noopener">Shutdowns</a> of legacy 2G networks are planned to be completed by 2033.</p> <figure class="main-article-image full-col" data-img-fullsize="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/security-5G_security_evolution-f.png"> <img data-src="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/security-5G_security_evolution-f_mobile.png" class="lazy" data-srcset="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/security-5G_security_evolution-f_mobile.png 960w,https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/security-5G_security_evolution-f.png 1280w" alt="A chart showing the evolution of 1G to 5G." height="392" width="559"> <figcaption> <i class="icon pictures" data-icon="z"></i>Wireless technology has transformed mobile communications over the years. </figcaption> <div class="main-article-image-enlarge"> <i class="icon" data-icon="w"></i> </div> </figure> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="How does a SIM card work?"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>How does a SIM card work?</h2> <p>Every SIM card has its own unique ID number -- an IMSI, or International Mobile Subscriber Identity, which associates the device with its user. SIM cards also include an ICCID, or Integrated Circuit Card Identifier, which serves as a kind of serial number.</p> <p>Information about a user's network plan, such as the plan type, data limits and voice minutes limit, is stored on the SIM card. The IMSI is also associated with the user's account to facilitate charges, fees, and other billing and usage.</p> <p>When a person makes a call or sends a text, the device sends an access request to the network; using the ICCID, the SIM card verifies that the device is authorized to make the call or send the text on that network. The network will deny an unauthorized SIM card request.</p> <p>SIM cards also store a user's personal data, including contacts and text message history. This is one of the primary ways of migrating that information from one device to another.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Types of SIM cards"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Types of SIM cards</h2> <p>SIM card sizes and forms have evolved over time in the following ways:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li>Standard or full-size SIM cards measure 25 by 15 millimeters (mm) and are used in older and basic phones.</li> <li>Mini SIM cards measure 15 by 25 mm and are found in phones from the late 1990s and early 2000s.</li> <li>Micro SIM cards measure 15 by 12 mm and are more likely to be found in phones from the 2010s and later.</li> <li>Nano SIM cards measure 12.3 by 8.8 mm and are used in newer smartphones.</li> <li>Embedded SIMs (eSIMs) measure 6 by 5 mm and have the SIM card already installed in the phone. The network carrier activates eSIMs remotely.</li> <li><a href="https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/dual-SIM-phone">Dual SIM cards</a> can be used with another SIM card in the same device, enabling two phone numbers on one phone, with two sets of incoming and outgoing calls and text messages on that one device. These are typically associated with nano SIMs and eSIMs.</li> </ul> <figure class="main-article-image full-col" data-img-fullsize="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/the_evolution_of_sim_cards-f.png"> <img data-src="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/the_evolution_of_sim_cards-f_mobile.png" class="lazy" data-srcset="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/the_evolution_of_sim_cards-f_mobile.png 960w,https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/the_evolution_of_sim_cards-f.png 1280w" alt="A chart illustrating the evolution of SIM cards." height="271" width="560"> <figcaption> <i class="icon pictures" data-icon="z"></i>As technology evolves, SIM cards have become smaller. </figcaption> <div class="main-article-image-enlarge"> <i class="icon" data-icon="w"></i> </div> </figure> <p>The iPhone 16 series supports dual SIM. U.S. models are eSIM only, whereas international models -- excluding China -- retain a physical SIM card slot; one SIM card is removable, and the other is an eSIM.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Benefits of SIM cards"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Benefits of SIM cards</h2> <p>Users can easily switch a SIM card from one phone to another, and this data portability offers several benefits. For example, a user who buys a new phone can install their current SIM card to associate the new phone with the same number and user preferences as the old one. This includes contacts or text messages stored on the SIM card. However, users must manually transfer data stored on the phone's internal memory, including photos, videos, apps and other files.</p> <p>In another common situation, if a phone's battery runs out of power, a user can easily install their SIM card in another subscriber's phone. Some vendors offer prepaid SIM cards that include unlimited talk and text to provide travelers with a local number if their cellphone is not locked to a specific carrier.</p> <div class="youtube-iframe-container"> <iframe id="ytplayer-0" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/NZtMrEPjpQ4?autoplay=0&amp;modestbranding=1&amp;rel=0&amp;widget_referrer=null&amp;enablejsapi=1&amp;origin=https://www.techtarget.com" type="text/html" height="360" width="640" frameborder="0"></iframe> </div> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Challenges of SIM cards"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Challenges of SIM cards</h2> <p>SIM cards can also have their downsides, including the following common challenges:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li><b>Vulnerability to hacking.</b> SIM cards can be a prime target for hackers because of the sensitive personal information they contain.</li> <li><b>Billing issues.</b> When a user travels to another country, the limitations of their existing SIM card can result in excessive international roaming and data charges. Therefore, it is advisable to obtain an international service plan that will be reflected on the SIM or purchase a local SIM card in the destination country.</li> <li><b>Easy misplacement.</b> As seen above, SIM cards are getting smaller, making them far easier to lose if they are not installed in their host device.</li> </ul> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="SIM card security issues"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>SIM card security issues</h2> <p>An individual's SIM card can be a target for hackers because it is a key to their digital identity. A person's phone number is often linked to their email, banking and social media accounts. If a hacker gains access to a user's personal information, they could transfer the user's phone number to another SIM card using a SIM swapping attack.</p> <p>In this kind of attack, the attacker tricks the mobile service provider into thinking they are the actual customer, after which the attacker can transfer the target user's account to a new SIM card that the attacker controls. This gives the hacker access to any of the user's accounts linked to that phone number through <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchsecurity/definition/multifactor-authentication-MFA">multifactor authentication</a>.</p> <p>SIM cards have a security code to prevent them from being used in a separate device, so users can go into their phone's settings and change the SIM card's personal identification code to something more complicated. Other SIM security features include <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchsecurity/definition/authentication">authentication</a> and <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchsecurity/definition/encryption">encryption</a> to protect data and prevent eavesdropping.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Future of SIM cards"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Future of SIM cards</h2> <p>Although several industry observers have suggested that SIM cards are an outdated technology, there is not yet a clear successor to replace them. The dual SIM paradigm noted above -- two phone numbers for one device -- is likely to grow in popularity. It is also likely that eSIMs will become more prevalent than physical SIMs.</p> <p><em><a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366618231/How-smartphones-are-transforming-global-health">Smartphones are being used to address global health concerns</a> such as sleep apnea and hearing loss. Learn how groundbreaking technology is creating smartphone-based diagnostic tools.</em></p> </section> A SIM card, also known as a subscriber identity module, is a smart card that stores the information necessary for a smartphone to connect to a mobile network. https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/visuals/digdeeper/4.jpg https://www.techtarget.com/searchmobilecomputing/definition/SIM-card Wed, 04 Jun 2025 12:00:00 GMT <p>Mobile World Congress 2025 in Barcelona, the first week of March, was not the typical stomping ground for an enterprise networking analyst, but our ongoing coverage of private 5G has brought me here.</p> <p>Mobile World Congress (MWC) is the place where the world comes together to discuss, demonstrate and hype all manner of wireless communications services and technologies. It has, over the past few years, extended its programs to include more and more enterprise topics, as mobile network operators build out business services portfolios.</p> <p>In addition to <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/definition/private-5G">private 5G</a>, of particular interest to me were fixed wireless access (FWA) and <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/tip/An-introduction-to-neutral-host-networks-using-private-5G">DAS/Neutral host solutions</a>, which also leverage or deliver 4G and 5G cellular technology and services.</p> <p>The challenge was navigating over 2.5 million square feet of exhibit space and tsunamis of provider-focused messages to find the enterprise needles in the haystack.</p> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Enterprise networking tech at MWC"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Enterprise networking tech at MWC</h2> <p>My quest was a solid success. There is a lot to learn from this community about networking technology that is of direct interest to enterprises everywhere, including the following:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li>A plethora of successful deployment examples of private 5G in enterprise settings.</li> <li>A broader set of offerings under the heading of <i>private networks</i> that was diverse and confusing, but did include a range of technologies applicable to enterprise. Most were aimed at service providers as something to bring to business subscribers.</li> <li>Continued focus by mobile operators on developing "business services" for enterprises, akin to those developed by legacy wireline communications providers in the past, but built around wireless and mobility.</li> <li>FWA options aplenty -- truly a mainstream offering now.</li> <li>Several DAS/Neutral host choices -- some that are integrated into broader wireless portfolio offerings (such as private 5G) and others that are standalone.</li> <li>AI everywhere -- on the walls of at least every other booth, big and small, including some overt references to <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchenterpriseai/definition/agentic-AI">agentic AI</a>.</li> </ul> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Vendor highlights"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Vendor highlights</h2> <p>It would be impossible to visit every technology and service provider at MWC. Doing so would have required either cloning (unethical, at best, and confusing for my family) or a time-turner (still waiting on this tech). But here's a recap of several technology suppliers with whom I had the chance to have deeper conversations at the event, in alphabetical order:</p> <p><b>Cisco</b> focused mostly on products for mobile operators, such as Agile Service Networking, Provider Connectivity Assurance, and ThousandEyes Connected Devices. It also provided a demonstration of private 5G solutions that was mostly, but not all (at least not yet), Cisco technology under the hood. I'll be digging deeper into that in the future.</p> <p><b>CommScope</b> announced several new AI features as part of its RUCKUS Wi-Fi product as well as a new partnership with Nokia's multi-gigabit optical LAN products for more complete WLAN+LAN offerings. CommScope recently sold its DAS and outdoor wireless networking segment <a target="_blank" href="https://www.commscope.com/press-releases/2025/commscope-completes-divestiture-of-outdoor-wireless-networks-and-distributed-antenna-systems-businesses-to-amphenol-corporation/" rel="noopener">to Amphenol</a>, now offered as Amphenol's subsidiary, Andrew, which shared the same booth space this year. I watched a demo and was impressed by the flexible scalability of the Andrew <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchmobilecomputing/definition/distributed-antenna-system-DAS">DAS</a> system.</p> <p><b>Dell</b> had a sizeable presence and offered three components that I found interesting and relevant. First was its PowerEdge servers, some of which are purpose-built and hardened <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatacenter/news/252478842/New-Dell-EMC-PowerEdge-servers-are-built-for-the-rugged-edge">for deployment in edge locations</a>.</p> <figure class="main-article-image half-col" data-img-fullsize="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/dell_nativeedge_with_nokia_provate_wireless_at_mwc_2025-f.jpg"> <img data-src="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/dell_nativeedge_with_nokia_provate_wireless_at_mwc_2025-f_half_column_mobile.jpg" class="lazy" data-srcset="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/dell_nativeedge_with_nokia_provate_wireless_at_mwc_2025-f_half_column_mobile.jpg 960w,https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/dell_nativeedge_with_nokia_provate_wireless_at_mwc_2025-f.jpg 1280w" alt="Photo of a Dell NativeEdge system with Nokia Private Wireless on display at Mobile World Congress 2025." data-credit="Jim Frey"> <figcaption> <i class="icon pictures" data-icon="z"></i>Dell NativeEdge system with Nokia Private Wireless was among the networking tech on display at Mobile World Congress 2025. </figcaption> <div class="main-article-image-enlarge"> <i class="icon" data-icon="w"></i> </div> </figure> <p>Second was a bevy of laptops newly equipped with 5G broadband radios for direct connection to public cellular networks -- great for the road warrior but not quite ready for private 5G networks yet.</p> <p>Last but not least was a new Dell NativeEdge offering with Nokia for deploying private 5G in an all-inclusive enclosure.</p> <p><b>Ericsson</b> had plenty to say to mobile operators, as usual, but also took the opportunity to promote its extensive and growing ecosystem of partners that apply Ericsson's wireless WAN (<a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/tip/As-wireless-WAN-matures-benefits-and-challenges-emerge">WWAN</a>) and private 5G to various enterprise use cases.</p> <p>Included were demos of smart manufacturing, IoT and computer vision, in-vehicle connectivity for public safety, and the Ericsson "Radio Dot" for Neutral Host as a superior alternative to traditional DAS.</p> <p>Newly announced and included in several demos was the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ericsson.com/en/news/2025/2/ericsson-cradlepoint-x20-announcement" rel="noopener">X20 5G Router</a>, optimized for 5G FWA together with switching, Wi-Fi 7, SD-WAN and integrated cloud-based SASE and management.</p> <p>The company also highlighted a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ericsson.com/en/news/2025/2/ericsson-private-5g-to-support-jlrs-digital-manufacturing-transformation" rel="noopener">private 5G success story</a> with Jaguar Land Rover, which is going through a wireless digital manufacturing transformation enabled by Ericsson enterprise networking.</p> <p><b>HPE</b> primarily focused on service provider products in its booth, but I had a chance to get an update briefing on the HPE Aruba Networking Private 5G. HPE's strategy is to make private 5G networks look and feel like any other enterprise network so IT teams won't have to learn the ins, outs, and quirks of <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/definition/3rd-Generation-Partnership-Project-3GPP">3GPP standards</a> and lingo to deploy this important technology. The company also recently introduced a Cellular Bridge to enable WWAN connectivity options for distributed and remote sites.</p> <p><b>Nokia</b> released a flood of announcements leading up to and at MWC 2025, with a couple of standouts for enterprise, both related Nokia's Digital Automation for Campus (DAC) solutions. The first, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nokia.com/about-us/news/releases/2025/02/26/nokia-launches-mx-context-to-accelerate-industry-40-with-ai-powered-contextual-awareness-suites-mwc25/" rel="noopener">MX Connect</a>, is focused on applying AI to OT sensor fusion for Industry 4.0 applications, and the second was a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nokia.com/about-us/news/releases/2025/03/03/nokia-partners-with-carrix-to-introduce-private-wireless-solutions-in-key-us-container-terminals-mwc25/" rel="noopener">partnership with Carrix</a> to apply private wireless solutions at U.S. container terminal facilities and rail yards.</p> <p>I had the pleasure of meeting some folks from Nokia's Network Infrastructure group who gave me insights into the enterprise solutions side of Nokia's business, which notably includes hundreds of production deployments in the U.S. alone. Also noteworthy was the number of places that Nokia popped up as a technology solution partner as I worked my way around the show floor, including (just in my limited wanderings) Dell, CommScope, Cisco and Rakuten.</p> <p><b>Palo Alto Networks</b> announced extensions to its Prisma SASE specific for 5G networks, paving the path for enterprises to incorporate this new network environment under a consistent set of security policies and controls.</p> <p>As mobile operators seek to build out enterprise business networks, integrating security is paramount. Per the folks I spoke with in the booth, enterprise visitors at MWC 2025 were so impressed with this new approach that some left and then came back with their mobile provider reps to show them what Palo Alto was doing.</p> <p>On the integrated 5G security front, <b>Trend Micro</b> and <b>CTOne</b> had a joint booth and were one of the few other true cybersecurity providers at the expo. At MWC, the companies <a target="_blank" href="https://newsroom.trendmicro.com/2025-03-03-Security-Gaps-Imperil-Private-5G-Networks-Amid-AI-Boom" rel="noopener">shared the results of joint research</a> highlighting that private 5G deployments get ahead of adequate security controls and there are a range of unique attack vectors and threats specific to this technology.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="MWC 2025 takeaways"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>MWC 2025 takeaways</h2> <p>Clearly, private 5G is making the transition from early over-inflated expectations to mature, successful deployments. Now is the time to start taking it seriously, particularly for those with use cases that are already outstripping the capabilities of more traditional wireless LAN technologies such as Wi-Fi.</p> <p>The same can be said for FWA, which is fast becoming a mainstream approach for internet access and WWAN connectivity. Long considered appropriate only as a business continuity backup option, FWA on 4G or 5G is steadily gaining popularity as an always-on, primary networking strategy.</p> <p>Quite honestly, I did not do DAS/Neutral Host full justice at this event. There are many solution providers, and the structure of the market demands and offerings is not yet entirely clear from my perspective. Much more to study here, so I'll leave it for follow-on research and analysis (and a future blog).</p> <p>As a postscript, AI continues to pop up everywhere, including in mobile/wireless networks, with its own unique potential applications. This is now an inevitable part of all future technology conversations and assessments. It's still evolving, but doing so quickly, and requires close watching to see where it starts to deliver clear, consensus value.</p> <p><i>Jim Frey covers networking as principal analyst at Enterprise Strategy Group, now part of Omdia.<br><br>Enterprise Strategy Group is part of Omdia. Its analysts have business relationships with technology vendors.</i></p> </section> The latest private 5G, FWA and several DAS/neutral host choices were on display at this year's Mobile World Congress event. https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/visuals/digdeeper/6.jpg https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/opinion/MWC-2025-Enterprise-networking-in-a-jungle-of-mobility Fri, 14 Mar 2025 15:10:00 GMT <p>Wireless technologies have grown in popularity and require the right type of wireless network to support them. It's important for organizations to choose the right type of wireless network, as each has its own functions and use cases.</p> <p>The different types of wireless networks are the following:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li>Wireless LAN (WLAN).</li> <li>Wireless metropolitan area network (WMAN).</li> <li>Wireless personal area network (WPAN).</li> <li>Wireless WAN (WWAN).</li> </ul> <p>Each wireless network requires different equipment and connections, and covers a range of areas -- from short-range personal device connections to large areas that accommodate multiple connections.</p> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="1. Wireless LAN"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>1. Wireless LAN</h2> <p>WLANs provide internet access within a building or a limited outdoor area. WLANs support a variety of devices that use radio waves, including laptops, smartphones, tablets and IoT devices. Homes and offices first used WLANs, but its use has since expanded to include stores and restaurants. Since WLANs rely on radio transmissions instead of wired connections, their range is limited to a single business or campus.</p> <p>WLANs operate using radio frequency (RF) waves and various wireless protocols. The most common protocol is the 802.11 standard, also known as Wi-Fi. While the two terms are often used interchangeably, <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/answer/Wireless-vs-Wi-Fi-What-is-the-difference-between-Wi-Fi-and-WLAN">Wi-Fi is only one type of WLAN</a>.</p> <figure class="main-article-image half-col" data-img-fullsize="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/networking-wireless_wlan_vs_wifi-h.png"> <img data-src="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/networking-wireless_wlan_vs_wifi-h_half_column_mobile.png" class="lazy" data-srcset="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/networking-wireless_wlan_vs_wifi-h_half_column_mobile.png 960w,https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/networking-wireless_wlan_vs_wifi-h.png 1280w" alt="Venn diagram of how WLAN and Wi-Fi compare." height="384" width="279"> <figcaption> <i class="icon pictures" data-icon="z"></i>Use this Venn diagram to discover how wireless, WLAN and Wi-Fi are different. </figcaption> <div class="main-article-image-enlarge"> <i class="icon" data-icon="w"></i> </div> </figure> <p>WLAN configurations are either ad hoc or infrastructure. Endpoint devices on an ad hoc WLAN communicate directly without needing an access point (AP).</p> <p>Infrastructure WLANs operate with APs, which broadcast a wireless protocol, such as Wi-Fi. For example, a <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/tip/Tips-for-setting-up-a-home-network">simple home network design</a> connects a modem to a local service provider's cable or fiber. A wireless router connects to the modem and receives its signal, which it then broadcasts to devices. In this case, the router serves as the wireless AP.</p> <p>Office networks also use the infrastructure model but in a more complex manner. Large offices require multiple APs, which are usually mounted on the ceiling. Each AP connects to the office backbone network with a wired connection to a switch and broadcasts a wireless signal to the surrounding area.</p> <p>APs coordinate support for users around the office to maintain open, connected sessions between APs. For example, as users move around, APs will reestablish connections to the nearest point to maintain continuous and seamless connectivity.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="2. Wireless MAN"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>2. Wireless MAN</h2> <p>Wireless <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/definition/metropolitan-area-network-MAN">metropolitan area networks</a> provide broadband internet access to people across larger areas compared to WLANs. These networks cover up to 50 kilometers -- approximately the size of a city. However, despite its name, a WMAN can also provide coverage to rural areas. WMAN connections are either point-to-point or multipoint.</p> <p>WMANs operate on RFs and primarily use the <a target="_blank" href="https://boneymaundu.medium.com/wi-fi-vs-wimax-a-basic-understanding-c6ecf2b18ac6" rel="noopener">802.16 wireless standard</a>, also known by the IEEE as <i>WirelessMAN </i>and generally as <i>WiMAX</i>. WiMAX uses both licensed and unlicensed bands and supports a larger range of frequency bands.</p> <p>WMAN principles are the same as those of WLANs. APs connect to the internet and broadcast wireless signals throughout the coverage area from the sides of buildings or on telephone poles. Users connect to their desired destination via the nearest AP, which forwards the connection to the internet.</p> <figure class="main-article-image full-col" data-img-fullsize="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/networking-types_of_wireless_network-f.png"> <img data-src="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/networking-types_of_wireless_network-f_mobile.png" class="lazy" data-srcset="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/networking-types_of_wireless_network-f_mobile.png 960w,https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/networking-types_of_wireless_network-f.png 1280w" alt="Comparison diagram showing the different types of wireless networks" height="262" width="560"> <figcaption> <i class="icon pictures" data-icon="z"></i>Use this chart to compare the major differences among WLANs, WMANs, WPANs and WWANs. </figcaption> <div class="main-article-image-enlarge"> <i class="icon" data-icon="w"></i> </div> </figure> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="3. Wireless PAN"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>3. Wireless PAN</h2> <p>Wireless <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchmobilecomputing/definition/personal-area-network">personal area networks</a> cover a limited area -- typically up to 10 meters. It connects individual user devices to each other. WPANs require little infrastructure and often include smaller personal devices. Examples of devices in a WPAN include the following:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li>Mobile phones.</li> <li>Laptops and computers.</li> <li>Wireless computer devices, such as a keyboard or mouse.</li> <li>Wireless headphones.</li> <li>Wearable smart devices.</li> </ul> <p>Common WPAN protocols include Bluetooth and <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/iotagenda/definition/ZigBee">Zigbee</a>. Bluetooth enables hands-free phone calls, connects a phone to earpieces and transmits signals between smart devices. Zigbee connects stations along an IoT network. Infrared technology remains limited to line of sight, such as TV remotes connected to televisions.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="4. Wireless WAN"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>4. Wireless WAN</h2> <p><a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/tip/As-wireless-WAN-matures-benefits-and-challenges-emerge">WWANs</a> use cellular technology to provide wireless access outside the range of other wireless networks. This type of network has an unlimited range and connects networks across large geographical areas. The largest WWANs have a worldwide range and enable user mobility.</p> <p>WWANs are particularly adept at reaching areas wired networks can't. Since WWANs use cellular technologies such as 4G LTE and 5G, they operate using cell towers, which are available nearly everywhere within the U.S. and most other countries.</p> <p>However, users aren't limited to making phone calls; WWANs also use cellular technology to enable speech or data transfer. Users can also connect to the internet to access websites or server-based applications. This works by routing user connections to the nearest cell tower, which then connects to either another tower or the wired internet.</p> <div class="youtube-iframe-container"> <iframe id="ytplayer-0" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/C18cWjrU6KI?autoplay=0&amp;modestbranding=1&amp;rel=0&amp;widget_referrer=null&amp;enablejsapi=1&amp;origin=https://www.techtarget.com" type="text/html" height="360" width="640" frameborder="0"></iframe> </div> <p><b>Editor's Note: </b><i>This article was originally written by David Jacobs and expanded by Nicole Viera to reflect industry changes and improve reader experience.</i></p> <p><i>David Jacobs has more than 30 years of networking industry experience. He has managed leading-edge hardware and software development projects as well as consulted Fortune 500 companies and software startups.</i></p> <p><i>Nicole Viera is assistant site editor for Informa TechTarget's SearchNetworking site. She joined Informa TechTarget as an editor and writer in 2024.</i></p> </section> The four types of wireless networks -- wireless LAN, wireless MAN, wireless PAN and wireless WAN -- differ in size, range and connectivity requirements. https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/visuals/ComputerWeekly/Hero%20Images/network-abstract-2-adobe.jpeg https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/tip/The-4-different-types-of-wireless-networks Mon, 10 Mar 2025 13:14:00 GMT 60 webmaster@techtarget.com