An explanation of private 5G vs. Wi-Fi

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In this video, TechTarget editor Craig Stedman talks about private 5G and its uses, along with how it differs from Wi-Fi.

You've probably heard of 5G, but what about private 5G?

Private 5G is wireless technology that brings cellular connectivity to private networks, like private businesses, third-party providers and municipalities.

In the past, cellular networking was limited to large national carriers, like T-Mobile, AT&T and Verizon, because of the high costs for licensing and equipment. But in 2015, the FCC introduced Citizens Broadband Radio Service, or CBRS, which enables organizations to acquire shared radio frequency spectrum easily and freely.

This spurred vendors to develop architecture specifically for private 5G use cases, and some are even toying with easy-to-deploy 5G-in-a-box technology.

Private 5G functions the same as public 5G -- the differences being that private 5G gives organizations more control over which devices connect to the network and it can be more affordable in large-scale use cases.

Private 5G is also an alternative to Wi-Fi. They operate similarly for the end user but have distinct differences behind the scenes:

  • Private 5G transmits signals at a higher power rating, so it requires fewer access points [APs] than Wi-Fi.
  • Private 5G's soft handoff mechanism has no data loss when roaming [between APs], while Wi-Fi breaks one connection before making another.
  • A single private 5G AP can handle more connections than Wi-Fi.
  • Network slicing gives 5G more speed, throughput, quality of service and control.
  • And private 5G is less susceptible to external interference than unlicensed Wi-Fi spectrums.

It's also important to note that private 5G isn't a Wi-Fi replacement but, rather, a supplement for when Wi-Fi is unreliable. Here are some industry use cases of private 5G:

  • Manufacturing, where industrial interference is rampant and reliability is necessary.
  • Healthcare, where seamless mobility is required to handle sensitive data across thousands of endpoints.
  • School campuses, where staff and students need connectivity indoors and outdoors.
  • Cities, where smart city IoT, emergency response teams and private citizens require connectivity.
  • And entertainment venues, where large numbers of users congregate at once.

Sabrina Polin is a managing editor of video content for the Learning Content team. She plans and develops video content for TechTarget's editorial YouTube channel, Eye on Tech. Previously, Sabrina was a reporter for the Products Content team.