5G PRIVATE NETWORKS VS WI-FI
5G private networks vs Wi-Fi: what channel partners should know
For years, cellular networks and Wi-Fi appeared settled into their areas of dominance. But in some enterprise use cases, upgrades to cellular technology have handed companies unprecedented choice, says Darryl Brick, VP Partner Sales at Cradlepoint.
For partners who’ve been around for a while, the 5G vs Wi-Fi debate may seem a little tired. However, the debate persists, and the technologies continue to co-exist, as Wi-Fi and cellular continue to evolve. Wi-Fi is a type of wireless local area network (WLAN) that is favored for supplying wireless connectivity to the home, office, campus and other facilities ok with ‘best effort’ connectivity in many environments but best suited indoors. Cellular connectivity is the dominant player outdoors, on mobile phones and many other devices when Wi-Fi and other connectivity options are unavailable. But recent events and the evolution of the connectivity ecosystem have triggered significant changes to the dynamic between technologies. As Wi-Fi and cellular networks have been upgraded through new standards releases, the roll out of 5G has brought increased capacity, coverage, mobility, speeds and lower latency. Meanwhile, Wi-Fi 6 is getting closer to cellular with increased capacity, coverage and higher speeds. Both have inherent strengths and weaknesses. Looking for partners Another important shift is that cellular has become an attractive alternative to Wi-Fi for enterprises – specifically for those looking for greater support for business-critical applications and wanting complete control of their network. This is evident in the rise of private cellular networks (PCNs) among enterprises in recent times. Helping drive this growth in enterprise PCN are changes to spectrum policy, including the allocation of licensed spectrum for enterprises. With the increased availability of licensed or shared
spectrum, enterprises can operate their own PCNs and exercise complete control over the network, and as such will be looking for partners who can support them in this journey. As the enterprise evolves, three major wireless technologies are increasingly co-existing: public cellular, private cellular and Wi-Fi. However, thanks to PCNs and the enhanced performance they provide in the form of increased coverage, mobility, reliability, security and predictable network performance enterprises will be looking for partners that can offer them the choice of these technologies depending on their need. Why are PCN deployments increasing? So, why are some enterprises opting for private 5G or LTE over Wi-Fi? One of Wi-Fi’s limitations is reliability. As Wi-Fi operates on unlicensed spectrum, it may be available but not necessarily useable because of signal interference, traffic congestion or a minimal coverage area. In terms of security and capacity, Wi-Fi also comes up short when compared to a private 5G network. For example, PCNs can eliminate credential-based attacks thanks to SIM-based authentication. Network users must have approved physical SIMs or electronic SIMs to be able to access the network, giving enterprises more control over who enters their network. Also, even if a bad actor gets their hands on a device with an approved SIM, they would only have access to the portions of the network for which that device is approved. In terms of mobility, cellular networks are deterministic – meaning the network determines
Darryl Brick VP Partner Sales
cradlepoint.com
As Wi-Fi operates on unlicensed spectrum, it may be available but not necessarily useable... “ ”
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