Wireless communication networking continues to evolve. More enterprise IT organizations are envisioning new applications that empower frontline and corporate employees to streamline mobile workflow.
A public cellular network relies on shared infrastructure and resources which are utilized by numerous other subscribers.
In contrast, private cellular networks are prevalent among businesses aiming to increase privacy, safety and control over a network used exclusively by their employees and guests.
Private Wireless Network Market Development
According to the latest market study by Juniper Research, enterprise spend on private networks will near $10 billion globally by 2028 -- that's rising from $1 billion in 2023.
Growing by 722 percent, the three vertical industries driving the market were identified as: Manufacturing (35 percent), Energy (20 percent), and Public Services (16 percent).
The need for private networks that can support high device densities and operate over large geographical areas is an important factor.
Private networks leverage cellular technologies to provide a closed and secure network than can be fully managed by the enterprise IT organization.
Furthermore, private networks cannot be accessed by any cellular device connection, only those authorized by the network itself.
The manufacturing market demands more coordination of automated processes and devices, thus requiring high-levels of orchestration via software-defined networks.
This inherent complexity means that manufacturing applications will be a key use case for the more rapid adoption of 5G private networks, due to its infrastructure supporting high-device density operations and ultra-low latency properties.
As network complexity increases, Juniper analysts urge private network vendors to offer an ongoing managed service approach to their enterprise customers.
This approach will enable private network vendors to maintain a continuous relationship with their customers and benefit from recurring service revenue.
According to the Juniper assessment, ongoing technical support and other value-added services will be necessary to maximize the value proposition for enterprise customers.
Outlook for Private Network Applications Growth
Additionally, Juniper predicts that wireless spectrum resource management will be the key determining factor in the quality of service provision to minimize network interference.
As a result, network slicing will emerge as a key technology for vendors to ensure that high throughput to private network connections is guaranteed for end users. This will help to drive new apps growth.
That said, I believe private networks are vital in healthcare applications, as mission-critical life support requires consistent connectivity and reliability. By combining artificial intelligence (AI) with generated data, the growth potential will be significant.
New requirements for wireless network bandwidth within a healthcare services setting will expand the demand for private networks. Deploying private networks can help reduce the technology gap, and build modern Smart Hospital ecosystems.