Why Private Cellular Networks Should Be Integral to Disaster Resilience
For any enterprise, connectivity is everything: between its employees, between the entity and its stakeholders, and between it and the world. Nothing can happen without it. But many enterprises still rely on being connected solely through traditional fixed line networks. As we move deeper into the 21st century, should this still be the standard to which we all subscribe?
There are few things that move as quickly as technological development and, in business, we are constantly being pushed to embrace the newest, the most advanced, and the next best thing. It’s enough to make anyone dubious; we are fed so much hype. Even if something really IS the next big thing—especially when it involves communication—it isn’t always immediately embraced by businesses. For instance, 5G, which is now accepted as a big step forward in mobile communications, had to wait years for peripheral development to become practical.
But, the time has come to really look at the advantages of wireless networks as the preferred infrastructure for businesses. Not the only network, per se, but certainly one that delivers unparalleled benefits to a business. There are many different types of wireless networks, each with its own advantages and challenges. The most common are Wi-Fi, public cellular, and private cellular networks. They are all a part and parcel of the same idea: A better method of connection for many enterprises.
Public cellular is designed for consumer use; the economics largely don’t make sense for a business sending or receiving large amounts of data. Large costs can quickly add up for businesses that upload and download data, such as IoT and industrial deployment. In addition, since public carriers are intended for consumer use, businesses do not have the ability to control data upload or download speeds. These are networks designed to support texting and streaming videos, not commercial needs. Appropriately, the focus for business connectivity is on Wi-Fi and private cellular. To better understand and appreciate the value of each type of infrastructure, they should be compared according to several factors: Coverage, Flexibility, Security, and Resilience.
Coverage
Wi-Fi is a proven, reliable, and cost-effective technology for office settings. As a rule of thumb, any business environment that has carpeting would likely use Wi-Fi to connect computers, printers, servers, and other in-office equipment. Depending on the layout of the workplace, coverage can be constrained. Think about Wi-Fi in your home. Are there dead spots? Is the Wi-Fi connection stronger if you are near the router but far weaker if you are at the opposite end of the house? The same thing happens in a business setting, especially in a vast space. One of Wi-Fi’s drawbacks is its inability to travel very far without its signal becoming weaker. It is also prone to have signal interference issues with metal structures, making its use in warehouses and factories problematic. The work-around in these environments is to deploy a large number of access points to extend the signal. But in a large building, or a wide-open structure with a lot of metal, this becomes expensive and impractical. A private cellular network is far more suited for these scenarios. Private cellular, which can be employed using 4G-LTE or 5G, uses a series of nodes, or wireless cellular access points (WAPs), to capably cover an area that can be expansive or considered remote. The range of coverage for a WAP is far greater—by at least 10x to even 20x— compared to Wi-Fi. What’s more, cellular signals are not restricted by metal structures, walls, or other barriers, delivering far more reliable coverage in difficult-to-cover locations.
Flexibility
Certainly, flexibility is inherent in private cellular networks. Expanding a wired network would require substantial expenses, such as digging trenches and running miles of cable. These costs are often necessary when expanding Wi-Fi, which often demands that a fiber connection be installed to support any added nodes. Not so with private cellular. All the business really needs to do is stand up an antenna in the new location, and connect to the network. Expanded coverage areas can be added to the network in less than an hour, and the expense of building out fiber is erased. With private cellular’s ability to move where needed and connect from anywhere, limitations disappear.
Security
Data leaks and hacking are an unfortunate reality, so security should be a top priority for any business. Wi-Fi has a spotty track record in this regard. It can be hacked through routers, and within the network itself, making data vulnerable. And though advancements like WPA3 encryption have substantially improved Wi-Fi security, it still has its weaknesses. Cellular networks are far more robust in this regard. These infrastructures use advanced encryption techniques that make it exceedingly difficult to hack, and mitigate man-in-the-middle attacks. In short, cellular is far more secure than Wi-Fi.
Resilience
With the effects of recent extreme weather events in the news, businesses should be concerned about their vulnerability in the face of a natural disaster. Tornadoes, earthquakes, fires, hurricanes—even just heavy rains—are each threatening in their own ways. Storms and other natural disasters can take fixed networks offline in an instant. Private wireless networks, on the other hand, have a degree of portability that can have a business back online within hours. In an emergency, these networks can continue to provide robust and reliable connectivity for any business.
Conclusion
If the legacy wired network seems to be inhibiting a business’s ability to grow or operate efficiently, it may be time to explore the viability of a new infrastructure. An experienced technology provider can make a comprehensive assessment of the enterprise’s existing system, and determine if it is suitable to meet current and projected future needs. The provider will ask probing questions like what types of hardware and applications are or will be necessary? Is expansion needed for future growth? Does the business plan to use emerging AI-based applications? All of these answers will help the provider develop a network that will remain relevant and efficient for years to come.