How private cellular networks can deliver the connectivity needed for growth with 5G transport

As industrial digitalization accelerates, so does demand for the advanced connectivity that private cellular networks can deliver. This connectivity liberates industrial enterprises to unlock the potential of automation, control, and exponential growth.

Mining, manufacturing, ports, airports, oil and gas, and energy plants are some industrial sectors adopting innovative use cases with a private cellular network as the connectivity platform. A private cellular network is an on-premise network deployed for the exclusive use and unique requirements of enterprise business process operations. Today, these cellular networks are offered over both 4G and 5G.

And, for good reasons.

Wireless technologies offer industries and enterprises the flexibility to realize the full potential of their digital transformation initiatives.  The main advantages include: 

• Guaranteed coverage for the enterprise, both indoors and outdoors, via dedicated spectrum, even in remote locations such as mining or offshore oil rigs.
• High capacity and low latency. A private network removes contention with other network users, making it possible to guarantee network performance.  This is essential for IoT applications and control of remote devices, among other use-cases.
• High levels of security as 3GPP standards are closely adhered to across vendors, and a private wireless network solution ensures all data stays within the enterprise.
• Control of corporate IT resources. The private wireless network can be customized to optimize reliability and latency, and security can be controlled to ensure that sensitive information remains on-premises.
• Reliability and predictability. Private wireless networks based on LTE/5G technology offer performance and enable applications that cannot be accommodated by Wi-Fi, such as mission-critical communication services and ultra-high definition video surveillance.

Read more here: Private 5G networks

How can you deploy private wireless networks?

As a result of spectrum availability and private networking standards, there is a lot of debate about private wireless network deployment and implementation models.  Ericsson defines three main options:

• Fully owned & operated

• Leased spectrum and network infrastructure with outsourced management

• Hybrid models depending on specific organization competencies, business situations, competitive environments, etc.

Figure: Deployment models for private networks

The glue holding the enterprise private wireless network together, however, is the underlying transport network connecting all of the various RAN and Core elements to the enterprise corporate environment and associated IT assets.

What are the demands on transport networks?

Dedicated networks place a number of demands on transport networks.

Capacity

Bandwidth demands from CPRI, eCPRI, and Dynamic Spectrum Sharing result in fronthaul data rates starting at 10Gbps and growing up to 100Gbps per antenna/radio location.  This may preclude the use of current corporate IT network resources.  For backhaul connections, contention for available BW with other enterprise data applications may impact the performance of private wireless networks and vice versa.  The situation may require a separate/overlay transport network, or dedicated access network with traffic management over a common IP/Optical campus backbone.

Reliability

Reliability refers to the capability of transmitting a given amount of traffic within a predetermined duration with high success probability. It requires reliable transport networks to support critical IoT for industrial use cases.

Timing & Sync support

Without a well-designed and robust timing system, private wireless network users and devices can experience poor performance due to things like dropped calls and hung data sessions.

Discover the technology drivers, options, and considerations for timing and synchronization in mobile transport in our article: 5G is all in the timing.

Flexibility

Industry 4.0 use cases and private wireless networks are not just about best effort data traffic. As such, it is critical to be able to classify, schedule, and prioritize traffic from multiple services or slices with various requirements. In addition, buffers must be big enough to guarantee bandwidth for some services, while ensuring streaming content and rich media applications continue with high QoE.  Ensure the transport network supporting your private wireless network can deliver on these main requirements:

• Low forwarding latency : Since advanced coordination is latency sensitive especially in the fronthaul part of the network, transport network elements must operate with low forwarding latency.   
• Buffers : In addition to low latency tolerance, RAN traffic can also be bursty in nature. As such, non-latency-sensitive traffic may need to be temporarily buffered while higher priority traffic is passing through.
• Hierarchical QoS : Many different traffic types need to be served at the same time, which requires a proper QoS functionality.
• Segment Routing (SR) : As the transport network grows more complex and denser, there is a need to simplify and consolidate the multiple numbers of protocols required to enable an MPLS network. Segment routing makes it possible to configure a network that efficiently routes packets along a Label-Switched Path (LSP) and enables network automation/programmability.

Learn more about the benefits of flexible connectivity, by including transport awareness in orchestration and slice operations, Ericsson can meet those requirements.

Security

With Industry 4.0, network connected sensors and devices offer hackers more potential attack points.  Combine this with the increased bandwidth of 5G and the traditional "detect and redirect" DDoS mitigation approach might be inadequate because of capacity overload.

Service providers need to evolve how they deal with transport security, as discussed in our blog series on the topic. Discover exactly how in Part 1 and Part 2 of 5G transport security: What service providers need to evolve?

Operations and Maintenance

For private wireless networks based on LTE-A and 5G to scale, automation becomes increasingly important. Transport network elements should support standard APIs for North Bound Interface (NBI), e.g.: support for NetConf and YANG models to enable automated configuration. With these capabilities, the routing infrastructure can be integrated into end-to-end orchestration and assurance systems providing the following benefits :

• automatic, low touch configuration of network elements
• reduced operational expense due to automation
• end-to-end flexible and programmable network for easy moves, adds, and changes

These capabilities will help service providers and enterprises build a scalable transport network for dedicated networks.

RAN site types

Radio sites can range from outdoor towers, rail-based or pole-mounted, outdoor cabinets, indoor huts, and in building communication rooms, closets, and even plenum spaces between floors. The transport network (delivering the capabilities outlined above) must be able to connect all these RAN site types to the core location.  In most cases, traditional campus or enterprise data center networking equipment is ill-suited for this wide range of deployment options. Make sure to consider transport network equipment size, form factors, and hardening as you plan your private wireless network deployment.

As  a market leader in global 5G network infrastructure, Ericsson knows Mobile transport

Ericsson knows what is required from a transport network to deliver the performance, reliability, and security needed for a superior private wireless network.  We are committed to helping service providers and enterprises take full advantage of 5G with a complete transport product portfolio, developed as part of the Ericsson Radio System. We reduce complexity and provide market-leading capacity and interface density, using open and standardized interfaces to ensure full interoperability in multivendor networks. Ericsson’s unparalleled experience with RAN deployments and implementation of a wide range of services enables us to effectively help enterprises and service providers move quickly and efficiently, deploying private wireless networks to capture the full value of connectivity.

More information

Mobile transport solutions to connect 5G services everywhere