2025 and beyond.

So here is the thing, we have this great expectation for private networks this year. The reality is that most people at home and in business already have private networks. They use Wi-Fi, something that (long ago) 4G and 5G OEMs hoped would be replaced.

I was all in on the PLTE and P5G because I thought it would shape network topology in the upcoming years. While that may be true, the reality is that nearly all devices already have Wi-Fi, RFID, LoRa, and other formats that are cheaper to license with mass produced chips in them. I really should have opened my eyes to the reality of the situation.

If private carrier grades networks are to be adapted, it has to be through evolution and need. When I say evolution, it’s not just about the wireless network or the great features. It has a lot to do with budgets and migration models. The use case has to justify making network transformations justified. 

So, as we move ahead, we need to add a realistic view of where networks are going. 

It will always be Wi-Fi first indoors.

I think we all know why Wi-Fi still rules, but in case you’re wondering I’ll make a simple list.

1. Wi-Fi is so cheap,
2. Wi-Fi is so easy,
3. Wi-Fi is in nearly every device out there including your smartphones,
4. Wi-Fi 6E and 7 opened up more spectrum than ever allowing an amazing throughput.
5. Wi-Fi works on almost anything from IOT to broadband devices,
6. LoRa filled in the IOT gaps and uses Wi-Fi gateways today,

So that is why Wi-Fi is here to stay. It already is the foundation to every network today, at home and at work. Why change? It doesn’t make sense. 

What does make sense is to improve your wireless networks at work. If you’re not budgeting for a Wi-Fi upgrade, then you need to plan. Let’s face it, Wi-Fi 7 is the way to go. I know that some of you are already reading about Wi-Fi 8 but just ignore it for now. It’s too far out and I am not sure how much it will improve over Wi-Fi 7.

You should also look at the coverage you currently have in your buildings, that is the #1 complaint I hear from everyone. Everyone wants better coverage and most IT teams don’t want to bother. Well, now they can upgrade and add hotspots everywhere.

I have seen larger businesses add LoRa gateways where they have LoRa IOT devices. So, if you’re thinking about IOT for something simple and can find the devices on Amazon then make sure you have it planned for your network.

Outdoor Networks can go either way.

When building an outdoor network, just think about what your goal is. Some campuses prefer to have Wi-Fi everywhere, but the coverage can be so limited. You have to think about backhaul for each hotspot. That may take time and money. Not to mention everywhere you have anything, you need power. Good solid reliable power, so solar may or may not work. If you can use solar, the cost may be prohibitive when you calculate in the batteries and other ancillaries. 

Outdoors may be the use case for CBRS since it will cover more than Wi-Fi with one radio, but all the same considerations have to be taken into account. That and the cost of PLTE or P5G just to cover an area. If the area is large enough, it makes sense, but the cost of the OpEx may be prohibitive, so look at a 5-year budget, not just year one.

The one obstacle that each of these radios will require is power and backhaul. So that is going to be an expense regardless. 

One model that Wi-Fi has in its favor is a mesh network. While it has limitations, it makes setting up a network across areas with little or no backhaul super easy and very cost effective. Now that Wi-Fi 7 is out, it will allow mesh to see a renewed popularity. All that additional 6GHz spectrum will allow more bandwidth than ever to be reserved for backhaul.

How can I justify PLTE or P5G?

To be honest, unless you have a very specific use case, you can’t. The idea of indoor PLTE or P5G just doesn’t make sense unless you need the following in your specific use case. If you don’t have a need then you don’t need it.

• A very secure network.
• Separate offloading to devices.
• Carrier grade equipment.
• Licensed or lightly licensed spectrum.
• Partnering with a carrier for offloading their network.
• Wide area coverage for each hotspot for campus coverage or covering large areas.

Remember the downside list.

• It is very expensive.
• You need a core, your own or another’s, they come with upfront costs and recurring costs.
• Licensing is higher.
• CapEx and OpEx are higher, way higher than Wi-Fi.

So, with all of this in mind, make sure that you weigh the differences. You need a solid justification for PLTE or P5G.

Moving into 2025 and beyond!

As we move ahead, it will take even more time for PLTE and P5G to move ahead. If you look at how networks are transforming, you see how much has already been done. 

Think about the Cloud, it changed the way we handle data and even design enterprise networks. It has revolutionized the smartphone app business. Yet, as an end user, we take it for granted. We don’t see any of it and yet we get all the benefits.

Like Wi-Fi, we expect to be wirelessly connected everywhere. If we’re in our home or business, we expect Wi-Fi to work and to be part of the connection. After all, we just want to see the end device we’re using and the site or app we’re using. Nothing else.

Unfortunately, all the in-between stuff, i.e: the network, is someone’s problem. Now that includes wireless, the Cloud, backhaul, internet access, domain routing, and so on. It’s all expected to work all the time. 

We have more bandwidth than ever and more choices of how we want to carry the data.  I think we’ll start seeing more competition and lower prices in internet access. It’s becoming more of a commodity.

Offloading will be the key to all businesses growing and moving ahead. That will become common and much cheaper. When I see people try to bring things in house when they could offload it seems crazy to me. They often try to reinvent the wheel when they should be offloading and learning and then deciding if they want to bring it inhouse. 

Small businesses will probably not change much. They will use Wi-Fi if they need a network at all. They may use their hotspot or a cable modem, but they won’t need much more.

Midsize businesses may change, but the money will be a factor. Do they want to invest in network transformation? If so, then they may want to invest in growth. However, they may have an AI chatbot using ChatGPT to replace some people’s functions. Most midsize businesses will use this to offload employees but the reality is that they will offload that. It doesn’t make sense to bring it inhouse. 

Large businesses will have to make the decision to move ahead. They have the use cases that require network transformation as well as the budget to do so. That is where I see change taking place outside of all the grants and trials that will suck people dry.

Acronyms and Definitions:

Note: these are my interpretations of the terms I used above and not an official definition. So, if you Google it and it comes up differently, don’t come back to me whining about who’s right. You’re an adult, make up your own mind as to which definition you wish to use.

• AI means Artificial Intelligence which in this article points more to automation and interactive solutions.
• CapEx is the initial upfront cost of the installation and initial purchase and build costs.
• CBRS means the Citizens Broadband Radio Service which is, for the most part, a lightly licensed 3.5GHz spectrum used for a majority of private carrier grade networks.
• CharGPT means generative artificial intelligence chatbot, basically an interactive AI chatbot that uses natural language processing to perform simple and repeatable tasks. Yes, it can learn but for not it can replace simple functions.
• IOT means Internet Of Things, think of talking to devices wirelessly such as sensors, laptops, alarms, lights, thermostats, and so on. Machine to machine, device to device,without us pesky humans getting involved. 
• LoRa means Long Range and is an IOT protocol, meaning no voice and short data bursts along with low bandwidth, that uses spread spectrum modulation. It really has great battery properties and works really well for IOT solutions. Semtech developed this open-source wireless protocol. 
• OEM means Original Equipment Manufacturer, think of all the big manufacturers like Cisco, Ericsson, Nokia, and Qualcomm.
• OpEx means Operation Expenses beyond the initial build costs, this includes licensing, support, core, and other costs that extend throughout the life of the equipment.
• P4G means Private 4G network.
• P5G means Private 5G network.
• PLTE means Private Long Term Evolution, which is another fancy term for Private 4G.
• Wi-Fi means Wireless Fidelity and is the DeFacto standard of almost all devices using wireless in the world. 
• Wi-Fi 7 means a new Wi-Fi format that also includes the additional 6GHz spectrum.