The private 5G playbook: Deployment strategies for enterprise transformation

Every time connectivity technology leaps ahead, it changes how we work. We’ve progressed from being “plugged in” to our desks, with wires everywhere, to being free to work from almost anywhere — as long as the Wi-Fi signal is strong.

Then came 5G and it changed everything. It’s exceptionally fast, with low latency, so there’s hardly any delay between sending a signal and getting a response. And it can connect thousands of devices (and people) without breaking a sweat.

Dedicated private 5G networks offer even more efficiency and agility, supporting faster decision-making and creating opportunities for innovation in sectors ranging from manufacturing and transportation to healthcare and education.

Like any big change, deploying private 5G is not always simple. But if you know what to expect, you can get the benefits sooner and avoid costly mistakes.

• ALSO READ → From firefighting to forecasting: Edge AI and private 5G redefine industrial resilience

Understanding the complicated nature of spectrum

Spectrum is the foundation on which your wireless service is built. Think of it as a multilane digital highway: Each frequency band represents a dedicated lane, and the “cars” are your data packets. Wider lanes (higher-frequency bands) allow for incredibly fast speeds but with shorter range; others (lower-frequency bands) are narrower but can stretch much further. If your frequency band is overcrowded, your data gets congested and your workloads slow down until you hit a traffic jam.

To run a reliable private 5G network, you need your own dedicated lane — a secure frequency band that keeps your data flowing without interruption.

You have four main options to acquire this lane: Buy a dedicated spectrum license; lease spectrum from a mobile operator; use government-supported shared license models in select countries (such as Citizens Broadband Radio Service in the US); or opt for an unlicensed “public lane” (like Wi-Fi frequencies).

Each choice has significant trade-offs regarding cost, coverage, speed and regulatory compliance. Selecting the wrong path can result in interference, costly compliance issues or paying far more than necessary for your network needs.

What to watch out for when deploying private 5G

Navigating spectrum regulations

As set out above, spectrum planning is the most intricate challenge when deploying private 5G networks. Access to frequencies is strictly controlled by government regulatory bodies, and these regulations are dynamic and diverge significantly between countries as authorities strive to keep pace with advances in the adoption of wireless technology.

Acquiring spectrum is highly varied: in some regions, a license might be secured via a straightforward online application with the relevant regulatory agency. Conversely, many markets require complex leasing agreements with incumbent mobile network operators, while other countries are still developing new spectrum-allocation models designed to specifically facilitate private enterprise use.

Navigating this global patchwork of regulatory mechanisms is critical in keeping your private 5G network legally compliant, cost-effective and optimized for performance.

Dealing with old networks and new demands

Outdated switches, firewalls and local area network (LAN) infrastructure setups weren’t designed for the scale and real-time demands of applications to be connected through a private 5G network. Trying to integrate a private 5G network with legacy infrastructure can lead to bottlenecks, patchy coverage, dropped connections and inconsistent performance — often only discovered after a deployment is already underway.

Addressing the skills gap

Unless you have the right people with the right experience to deploy and run your private 5G network, you’ll run into glitches. Private 5G is still in the early-adoption phase, and in-house IT staff are often unfamiliar with cellular network infrastructure and setups. Without the right support, you run the risk of missteps, underperformance or even a rollback to simpler legacy systems.  

Making integration and security work

A network is only as reliable as the devices and applications it connects to — and this is where many organizations run into problems. The pool of private 5G-ready devices is growing yet remains small, price tags can be steep, and not everything works well with existing equipment. Add in all the vendors and platforms you use, and integration can quickly turn into a bottleneck.

Security makes things even trickier. Most legacy frameworks weren’t built for the fast-moving, dynamic and data-intensive nature of private 5G networks. Proceeding without a clear plan to address this challenge risks opening the door to new cyberthreats.

4 practical solutions for private 5G network deployment

Despite the technical hurdles, you can deploy a private 5G network by maintaining a sharp focus on your core business objectives and planning holistically. By strategically addressing the entire ecosystem — including spectrum acquisition, network readiness, robust security and seamless integration — you can keep your deployment on track so it delivers the anticipated value.

1. Develop an enterprise-first spectrum strategy

Your first step is to meticulously map your operational environment — indoor and outdoor, urban and rural, high-density and low-density — to find the spectrum frequency that’s right for you. You may find the best option is leasing licensed spectrum from a telecommunications operator. Alternatively, it might be using shared spectrum frameworks or even tapping into unlicensed bands in certain situations.

Whatever route you choose, it’s crucial to align your radio access network (RAN) equipment with that frequency band from the start to avoid compatibility issues down the line.

2. Conduct a comprehensive network-readiness audit

Thoroughly review your existing transport (backhaul and mid-haul), switching and routing infrastructure, including the data center and LAN. Evaluate all access and distribution layers, along with the aggregation and core layers, for sufficient bandwidth, latency compliance and redundancy to support private 5G's higher capacity and low-latency demands.

3. Bridge the skills gap

Getting your team ready for a complex, modern private 5G network is crucial. Because this technology works very differently from traditional office IT, your employees need specialized technical training.

First, pinpoint the missing skills. Focus training programs on new software and cloud tools that run the 5G core, such as Kubernetes and other control systems. Your team also needs to learn the deep technical language (3GPP standards) and the details of managing traffic.

On the RAN side, they must be able to properly plan and set up the 5G radios or access points and troubleshoot radio frequency (RF) propagation issues.

For security and governance, employees’ access to network systems must be based on their specific job duties (role-based access control).

4. Unify systems and strengthen security

To make your private 5G network run smoothly, you need a unified operating portal that acts as a conductor for the entire network infrastructure.

Instead of relying on a single piece of software, this involves setting up a central automation and orchestration layer. This system's job is to connect all the different vendors, protocols and parts of the network — from the radios to the core — to work together seamlessly.

On the security front, go beyond traditional methods by adopting a zero trust model. This means you never automatically trust any device, user or piece of software within your network; every single connection and action is verified.

Additionally, all security alerts and logs from your private 5G network must be fed into your company's existing network operations center, so that one team monitors for threats across your IT and OT operations.

• ALSO READ → City of Brownsville, Texas, taps NTT DATA to build connected city with smart solutions powered by Private 5G

Partner up to innovate with private 5G

We understand that a private 5G network can act as a strategic innovation engine designed to drive business growth and secure a lasting competitive advantage. That’s why our end-to-end private 5G solutions help you navigate the challenges and deploy networks that have a visible impact on your business.

We navigate complex regulatory landscapes globally and collaborate proactively with local spectrum regulators, government bodies and mobile network operators across to ensure compliance and secure spectrum access for your private 5G deployment — regardless of market complexity or location. Our expertise covers the world's most widely adopted private 5G frequency bands, enabling us to deliver reliable, high-performance solutions everywhere.

For example, when a lithium mine in North Carolina needed to connect to global engineers who couldn’t visit the site, we implemented a connectivity solution tailored to the mine’s terrain and use cases, with secure, high-performance coverage for both workers and IoT devices.

In collaboration with Celona, we partnered with LyondellBasell, one of the world’s largest chemical companies, to design and integrate a private 5G network across their manufacturing plants. The result is a secure, high-performance network that supports industrial IoT, boosts automation and improves safety in a complex industrial environment.

By providing private 5G as part of a full NaaS model that covers design, deployment and ongoing management, we close the skills gap and ensure reliable performance even during power outages. This model also converts large capex investments into manageable opex.

Step into the future

With deep expertise, a broad suite of services and a proven record across industries, we don’t just help you deploy private 5G network solutions — we make it a catalyst for growth by removing the complexity and turning connectivity into a strategic advantage.

Private 5G is the future of enterprise connectivity, transforming how industries operate and compete. Let’s make it a reality for you.

• ALSO READ → The industrial revolution you didn’t see coming — powered by private 5G