September 25, 2022
Reliable connectivity is essential for running a business in today’s digital world. Yet traditional wireless devices that rely on technology such as WiFi can be inefficient and prone to disruptions. Enterprises worldwide are turning to next-generation private wireless networks as a smart connectivity solution.
Because a private wireless solution such as an LTE or 5G network provides stronger capacity, deeper coverage and higher quality connectivity, now is the time to seriously consider private wireless as a cost-effective solution.
Struggling to maintain wireless connectivity
Wireless connectivity seems to be everywhere these days, and your employees expect that an enterprise network will always be up. But the reality is that for workplaces with a lot of interference – those spread out over a wide area or in difficult terrain such as factories or mining sites – maintaining reliable coverage and connectivity is a constant challenge. Unreliable connections could have drastic impacts on a company, including business disruptions and productivity issues.
Other risks to maintaining a reliable network include bandwidth overload and dealing with extreme weather. Companies also face the challenge of providing coverage over large areas where many WiFi access points are needed, which can require many repeaters and be costly.
For companies seeking reliable wireless connectivity in workplaces such as large buildings, rural areas or industrial sites, implementing a private wireless network could be the best solution.
Finding value in private wireless networks
One DXC customer, a large manufacturing company, found that a private wireless network was the optimal solution for providing quality coverage for its employees across the factory floor. Because of all the large obstacles located throughout the plant, shop workers had trouble communicating with each other. With a private wireless network in place, even high bandwidth activities such as videoconferencing are supported, and the workers have the strong, reliable connectivity they need to do their jobs.
Many other DXC customers are discovering that private wireless networks have proven to be an optimal solution to meet requirements around important considerations such as quality, security and automation. Here are six reasons private wireless could be the right solution for your enterprise:
- Superior quality and coverage. An LTE or 5G private wireless network gives you far more penetration and coverage than a standard WiFi solution, by some measures as much as 100 times more. There is no question that signal penetration of a private wireless network, and in turn, the signal quality, is far better than WiFi.
- High scalability. A private wireless network is easy to scale up or down. Whereas traditional WiFi might support only 25 concurrent users, a private wireless setup can support hundreds of concurrent users. Plus, enterprises can adopt a subscription-based pricing model to run a private wireless network, which delivers cost benefits such as fewer one-time charges.
- Increased security. Because your network is private, this gives you more control over your data. With your network in-house, security will be centralised, so when your infrastructure is upgraded or integrated, the data stays local and can be proactively supported by your security teams. Additionally, users require a physical SIM card rather than simply needing a WiFi password. From a data security standpoint, private wireless definitely makes sense, especially for companies in data-sensitive industries such as healthcare and financial services.
- Low latency and high throughput. Efficient data transmission in the enterprise is highly dependent on speed and bandwidth, and enterprises looking for speed will benefit from the low latency and high throughput private wireless delivers. Especially on a 5G network, your applications can run on higher throughput with faster data speeds.
- Localised spectrum allocations. Private LTE/5G network spectrum is regulated and divided into unlicensed, licensed or shared licenses, depending on the country. The good news is many governments throughout the world are releasing the spectrum needed for private wireless networks. Regulators in Europe, for example, are increasingly allocating spectrum specifically for commercial use.
- Cost savings. Because private wireless uses fewer access points, less supporting infrastructure is required.
DXC offers a wide range of managed services to support enterprise networks and we have helped numerous enterprises take advantage of all the benefits provided by private wireless networks. We can build customised applications and integrate advanced technologies such as analytics and robotics into your private wireless solution, and deliver the reliability and predictability companies need.