Author: Nolan Morgan

Manufacturing facilities currently use a mix of wired and wireless network technologies for factory automation, but they are increasingly looking to the low latency, reliability and time synchronization capabilities in 5G to enable deterministic data transfer in industrial use cases  — in a cable-free environment. In highly automated manufacturing environments, latency as low as a few milliseconds will likely be needed as well as advanced synchronization features to maintain ultra-reliability, for advanced manufacturing. A dedicated licensed or local spectrum will be essential in meeting the high performance expectations.

While 5G promises high bandwidth capacity, lower latency, and massive IoT connections, the deterministic link capability is the most compelling part. Keeping uptimes high is crucial in any manufacturing process.

5G private networks offer manufacturers a powerful alternative to public cellular or traditional Wi-Fi systems. Here are the top 3 reasons why manufacturers should deploy one.

Reliable Connectivity with Industrial Grade Latency

In a manufacturing facility where milliseconds matter, delays in communication can cause disruptions, safety issues or quality lapses. 5G private networks deliver:

• Consistent, low-latency communication for real-time machine control and automation
• Reliable connections even in large or interference-heavy environments
• Seamless support for robotics, autonomous vehicles and predictive maintenance.

This reliability keeps your production lines moving, minimizes downtime and ensures operation precision.

End-to-End Security and Data Control

Manufacturing operations often deal with sensitive data from proprietary designs to customer orders. With a 5G private network, data stays within the premises — dramatically reducing the risk of external attacks.

• Complete control of data owners – traffic stays within your premises
• Custom security policies are tailored to your environment and compliance needs
• Protection from external threats compared to public networks.

By isolating your operations from the public network, 5G private networks significantly reduce the risk of breaches, ensuring peace of mind and control over all data.

Scalability for Smart Factory Operations

Smart factory operations rely on thousands of connected sensors and devices. 5G private networks are built to scale by:

• Supporting thousands of IoT devices without congestion and impacting performance 
• Enabling edge computing to process data on-site in real-time reducing latency and bandwidth costs
• Adapting quickly as new production lines, tools or capabilities are added.

5G private networks provide manufacturing facilities the flexibility to evolve their infrastructure quickly.

Conclusion

5G private networks are more than just a connectivity upgrade — they are a strategic enabler of smart manufacturing. By offering speed, control, security and scalability, they pave the way for greater productivity, innovation and resilience in an increasingly digital world.

Whether you’re running a single production line or a global network of plants, 5G private networks can give you the edge to modernize your operations. The Alliance has developed various deployment resources and tools to help enterprises deploy and operate secure 5G private networks and accelerate digital transformation. Learn more about our resources and tools available for download here.

The Alliance was on hand at the World Agri-Tech Innovation Summit 2025 event, from March 11 – 12 in San Francisco, CA, to highlight the benefits and potential applications for 5G Private Networks in agriculture use cases.

The event was attended by more than 2,000 global leaders from agribusinesses, technology giants, food brands, farmers, policymakers, investors and start-ups, all seeking the best and most impactful technologies for effectively managing their agricultural work and goals.

Technologies such as digital connectivity—via public satellite and public or private LTE and 5G networks—digital Internet of Things (IoT) sensors, drones, machine learning (ML), artificial intelligence (AI) and analytics can make agriculture more sustainable by minimizing the use of pesticides, fertilizer and water.  Likewise, by deploying IoT sensors across a field and connecting to a private network for example—farms can monitor water and test nutrient levels in the soil. This ensures that expensive fertilizers and chemicals are only dispersed when necessary to boost yield. The IoT network can be used to monitor the performance of farm machinery and irrigation systems while drones can be sent out for routine visual checks.

Alliance representatives met with booth visitors and decision makers to explore the resources and tools our organization develops to ease private network deployments – including the Uni5G technology blueprints and our shared PLMN-ID. Attendees were keen to explore how private networks and edge computing can help them address the unique, vertical-specific challenges they face each day.

Many were pleased to discover that 5G Private Networks can provide the necessary connectivity, security and reliability needed for their businesses and are actively seeking new solutions. Our conversations revealed that, due to their remote and rural locations, broadband options are often limited, resulting in an inability to smoothly coordinate, connect, and oversee their property, business and employees.

The Alliance champions global adoption of private networks by creating publicly available resources that highlight the benefits of the technology and streamline deployment. Learn more about our organization’s membership benefits and subscribe to the Alliance Insights newsletter to discover the latest resources to support your private network deployment.

Stay tuned for our next blog which will focus on the state of private networking in the manufacturing sector with highlights from Hannover Messe.

The Alliance for private networks participated in industry events around the world last year, discussing the benefits of private networks with attendees and sharing information highlighting the important tools and resources available for enterprises interested in deploying private networks.

Throughout the year, we engaged with representatives across a variety of industry verticals that are currently deploying or considering deployment of private wireless networks including manufacturing, ports, utilities, government, aviation, and more. Our representatives presented during MWC Barcelona highlighting how enterprises can easily utilize private network technology to drive digital transformation and boost efficiency. We showcased the deployment examples and the benefits of private networks for the manufacturing industry at Hannover Messe. During the Smart Factory Expo, we met with factory experts to elaborate on the impact of private networks on factory operations, including security, flexibility and low-latency. And finally, at the Smart Digital Ports of the Future event, our experts participated in an engaging panel discussion around the important enhancements for port operations made possible by private networks, such as increased productivity and worker safety.

The Alliance also published a variety of materials providing use case and application examples demonstrating the top 3 benefits for ports, utilities, and mining. Asimakis Kokkos, our Technical Specification Group Chair, also hosted the “Why should your enterprise deploy a private network?” webinar outlining the convenience of the technology as well as the tools and resources we provide to ease the private network deployment process.

2024 also brought a plethora of exciting private network deployments – the following coverage highlights some of the most intriguing articles:

• Australia Allocates 3.8 GHz Spectrum, Boosting Private 5G Networks – VoIP Review
• 5G private networks growing at 20%, says study – LightReading
• Hong Kong’s smart city transformation accelerates with Private 5G – FutureIoT
• Enterprises to spend $7bn per year on 18,000 private 4G/5G networks by 2028 – RCR Wireless News
• Private 5G takes the gold in the Paris Olympics – Fierce Network
• Telefónica and Nokia team-up on private 5G in Spain – RCR Wireless News
• Feature: How does a private 5G deployment happen? – Mobile World Live
• Malaysia accelerates 5G progress with private network focus and telco pact – TelecomTV
• Smart ports in Europe – five key private 4G/5G deployments – RCR Wireless News
• Nokia, Batelco to Offer 5G Private Wireless Network in Bahrain – The Fast Mode
• Dell/Nokia Alliance Aims to Advance Telecom Cloud, 5G Adoption – Channel Insider
• MWC 2024: Eurofiber Selects Nokia for Mobile Private Network Services – TelecomLead
• Metals specialist SMS Group deploys 5G private network with Ericsson and Mugler – Total Telecom

Considering the incredible momentum we have seen and the exciting discussions our representatives have been having with industry representatives seeking to bring private wireless networks into their environments, we are happily anticipating another year of progress and advancement.

Our Uni5G Technology Blueprints, shared PLMN-ID, and spectrum availability map help to simplify private network deployment and management for enterprises around the world. We welcome the opportunity to meet with your team and share more about our resources and tools, found here. We plan to participate in several industry vertical events and are developing new and unique content in 2025, so be sure to stay tuned for the latest updates from the Alliance by following us on LinkedIn and X.

The Alliance for private networks recently sponsored the “Why should your enterprise deploy a private network?” webinar hosted by RCR Wireless News. During the webinar, Asimakis Kokkos, Alliance Technical Specification Group Chair and Head of Technology Ecosystems at Nokia, explored the benefits of private networks for enterprise use cases and highlighted the resources and tools our organization develops to support their efficient deployment.

If you were not able to attend the live webinar, the recording is available via RCR Wireless.  Given the active interest from participants, we’d like to share additional answers to questions that we did not have time to address during the webinar:

Q: If two networks can have the same PLMN-ID, how does the scenario with a SIM card flagging an issue when switching networks that you described not occur?

In the case of MFA PLMN-ID, there are other additional identifiers that the Alliance will provide that will be separate and orthogonal between the networks. The flag in the SIM will not be “fail to connect to the home network”, which would require a reset, but instead, it will be “attempt to connect to another network”.

For Release 16 5G S-NPNs (Standalone Non-Public Networks), there is a formal mechanism to distinguish between networks using a shared PLMN-ID via a Private Network Identifier (PN-ID). Our Alliance provides unique PN-IDs as part of our set of managed identifiers, to support S-NPNs with minimal trouble.

Q: Could you share some use cases on a hybrid network (using an N77/78) and an operator’s core?

This depends on what we mean by a “hybrid” network. If it means a shared radio between a private network core and operators’ core, then the Multi-Operator Core Network (MOCN) feature can be used. This is used when an enterprise wants to build its own private network and wants to also connect to an operator. MOCN is a form of a Neutral Host Network (NHN) and the more popular of the various options for a Neutral Host.

In this context, a hybrid network adds a private network core to the setup and has the private network acting as one of the networks served by the NHN.

There are some features added to 5G that allow private networks to be deployed over an operator’s core network – specifically, network slicing. 5G allows you to divide a physical network into multiple isolated virtual networks. This would allow the operator to deploy a private network for your use, and they own all the hardware. It’s ultimately up to the operators if they support slicing.

If by “hybrid” you mean LTE(4G) and 5G on the same network, this is termed “non-standalone” (NSA) by the 3GPP. In this scenario, an LTE network provides the command-and-control link, with a 5G channel added on for additional speed/capacity. A lot of the initial 5G deployments were NSA, though pure Standalone (SA) networks are becoming more common.

Note: MOCN and slicing are not tied to the band/channel.

Q: In the example you gave in the USA Husky Airport and replacing 39 Wi-Fi Access Points with 6 LTE stations, is this capacity related or as a result of improved coverage? Is this operating standard macro station power?

It was performance-related as Wi-Fi did not perform well in their mission-critical applications. Please download this case study for more information.

Q: If the private network does not require to be roaming outside the coverage area why does a private network require a PLMN-ID other than 999 which the ITU dedicates to private networks? Can you elaborate on the alternative PLMNID option that Nokia has acquired and whether that is more useful for multisite or roaming options?

If the device stays on-premises, then this should not be a problem. If the device goes out of the private network premises and there is another private network nearby with the same PLMN-ID (e.g. 999XY where XY are the same numbers as the home private network), it will likely try to connect and be blocked. With shared PLMN-ID, such as our Alliance PLMN-ID, you avoid this issue as there are additional identifiers, such as tracking area codes, base station numbers, etc., that are provided to help the device realize that it is another network.

As noted, using the 999 PLMN-ID is an option, if the devices stay on-premises and another network is not set up in the area that uses the 999 PLMN-ID. It’s a valid option if you have physical control of the location, devices don’t leave the premises, and you have good “buffer” areas around your location.

To benefit from the entire Q&A, please check out the  RCR Wireless recording.

Got another question for us? Please don’t hesitate to reach out to mfa@nereus-worldwide.com.

Part of the annual Smart Manufacturing & Engineering Week conference, Smart Factory Expo is “where change-makers can find the insights, solutions, and connections for their digital transformation projects.” Along with a hosted kiosk, the Alliance for private networks will also be presenting on the benefits of deploying a unique, 5G private network.  

The Alliance is committed to championing the global adoption of private networks across industry verticals in any available spectrum and we look forward to sharing essential resources and tools that simplify the path to private network deployment – including the Uni5G™ technology blueprints, the Network Identifier Program, and a comprehensive spectrum availability tracker.

Visit our booth at NEC Birmingham in the Smart Factory Expo arena, stand 4-P12, and view engaging use case examples demonstrating how the Alliance is enabling industry verticals to efficiently deploy their own optimized, reliable, and secure private network in locally licensed, shared, and unlicensed spectrum.

For the latest on our Hannover Messe activities, be sure to follow us on LinkedIn and subscribe to the Alliance Insights newsletter. If you would like to meet with our representatives to learn more about potential use case scenarios and the benefits of private network deployment, schedule a meeting here.

Hannover Messe is one of the largest industrial-focused global trade shows and with 130,000 attendees from 150 countries and 4,000 exhibiting companies, 2024 was no exception. The event serves as an annual demonstration of global technology innovations throughout the manufacturing space.

The Alliance for private networks had the opportunity to participate in the “Industrial Wireless Arena + 5G Networks & Applications” again this year. We were excited to contribute to the numerous discussions and live demonstrations revolving around 5G private networks, a key topic throughout the event. Attendees visited our booth to learn about the resources and tools the Alliance provides to ease private network deployments – including the Uni5G technology blueprints and our shared PLMN-ID – and explore use cases.

Asimakis Kokkos, Technical Specification Group Chair for the Alliance and Head of Technology Ecosystems at Nokia, presented on the topic of “Best practices to deploy a 5G private network” to demonstrate use cases for manufacturing facilities interested in deploying a private network. He highlighted the important features defined in 5G technology that enable private networks to meet application requirements, including positioning, low latency, reliability, and security. View the presentation recording to learn more.

Asimakis also recently presented the importance of private network deployments for enterprise applications during the “Why should your enterprise deploy a private network” webinar with RCR Wireless. Watch the webinar recording on-demand to delve into the tools and resources our organization provides to simplify the process.

The Alliance continues to champion global industry adoption of private networks by educating the ecosystem and creating publicly available resources that improve the efficiency of deployment. We welcome you to learn more about the member benefits of our organization and encourage you to subscribe to the Alliance Insights newsletter to find the latest information to support your private network deployment.

During the annual Hannover Messe event, organizations across numerous industry verticals meet to demonstrate exciting ideas that enable future-focused, high-performance solutions. With themes covering AI, machine learning, Industry 4.0, and more, Hannover Messe 2024 will provide an important platform for these essential topics. 

The Alliance is committed to championing the global adoption of private networks across industry verticals in any available spectrum. Our organization is excited to highlight the essential resources and tools that we develop to simplify the path to private network deployment, including the Uni5G™ technology blueprints, the Network Identifier Program, and a comprehensive spectrum availability tracker.

Visit our booth at Hannover Messe in Hall 014, stand H06-44 to explore private network use cases and learn how the Alliance is enabling industry verticals to efficiently deploy their own optimized, reliable, and secure private network in locally licensed, shared, and unlicensed spectrum. Plus, make sure to stay tuned for updates regarding our presentations during the event.

For the latest on our Hannover Messe activities, be sure to follow us on LinkedIn and subscribe to the Alliance Insights newsletter. If you would like to meet with our representatives to learn more about potential use case scenarios and the benefits of private network deployment, schedule a meeting here.