5 Reasons to Consider a Private LTE Network for Your Business

Private LTE networks have become increasingly popular in recent years, offering several advantages over traditional public LTE networks. Perhaps the most significant benefit of private LTE is that users have complete control over the network coverage, which means they can tailor the network to their specific needs. In addition, private LTE networks support a wide range of devices and applications and provide an SLA (service level agreement) that guarantees certain levels of connectivity and performance. In the ever-changing and advancing technological world, businesses must stay ahead of the curve. A private LTE network can help your business do just that.

Here are 5 reasons to consider a private LTE network for your business:

1. Increased Efficiency: Employees can communicate and collaborate more efficiently, fostering a more productive work environment.
2. Enhanced Security: These features can help to safeguard your business data and communications from unauthorized access.
3. Increased Mobility: Employees can access vital business information from anywhere with an internet connection.
4. Lower Costs: A private LTE network can be more cost-effective than traditional methods of communication, such as landlines or cell phones.
5. Tailored Solutions: A private LTE network can be customized to meet the specific needs of your business. This means you can choose the coverage area, bandwidth, and other most important features.

This blog will look at each of these reasons in a little more detail. But first, let’s set the stage with some definitions, discuss who can build them, and provide a few use cases.

About Private LTE Networks

What Are They?

LTE, or Long-Term Evolution, is a wireless communication standard that offers high-speed data connectivity. Mobile phone carriers typically use LTE networks to provide customer data services. However, private LTE networks are becoming increasingly popular as well. Private LTE networks are owned and operated by entities other than mobile phone carriers, such as businesses and organizations.

These networks offer many of the same benefits as traditional LTE networks, including high-speed data connectivity and coverage over a wide area. However, private LTE networks can be customized to meet the specific needs of the entity that owns them. For example, a business may choose to deploy a private LTE network to improve its internal communications. Alternatively, an organization may use a private LTE network to connect its members in rural areas where traditional cellular coverage is unavailable.

Who Can Build Them?

Private LTE and 5G networks can be built by various organizations, including large enterprises, critical infrastructure operators, and small and medium-sized businesses.

• Large enterprises may build private networks for various reasons, such as improving communications for their workforce or connecting their branch offices.
• Critical infrastructure operators may build private networks to ensure reliable and secure communications for their facilities.
• Small and medium-sized businesses may build private networks to provide better customer or employee coverage.

Private LTE and 5G networks can be deployed using various technologies, including wireless routers, base stations, and small cells. They can be built using both licensed and unlicensed spectrum. A licensed spectrum is a spectrum that is assigned to a specific operator by a government regulator, while an unlicensed spectrum is a spectrum that is available for any operator to use.

A Few Use Cases

Private LTE networks can be deployed in various settings, including enterprise campuses, critical infrastructure facilities, and smart cities. In each case, the goal is to provide a more reliable and secure connection than what is available on the public network.

These networks are often used in mission-critical applications where failure is not an option. For example, many first responders use private LTE networks to communicate during emergencies. They are typically built using commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) equipment, which makes them more flexible and easier to deploy than traditional cellular networks.

Additional Examples:

• Hospitals can use private LTE to connect medical devices and share data between doctors and nurses.
• Retail stores can use private LTE to process payments and track inventory in real time.
• Factories can use private LTE to monitor production lines and prevent downtime.

Private LTE can also be used to create city-wide Wi-Fi networks, providing high-speed internet access for residents and visitors alike. In short, Private LTE is a versatile technology that can be used to solve a wide range of challenges.

The Top Five Reasons to Consider a Private LTE Network

1. Efficiency

A private LTE network is designed for use by businesses and other organizations that need a secure and reliable way to communicate. It can connect devices such as laptops, smartphones, and tablets to the Internet. It can also be used to connect devices to each other, such as for file sharing or video conferencing. It provides many benefits over a traditional cellular network, including increased speed, capacity, and reliability. In addition, a private LTE network can be easily customized to an organization’s specific needs. For example, an organization can choose to allow only certain types of traffic on its network or prioritize certain types over others. And it can be managed and monitored by the organization itself. This allows the organization to ensure that the network is always running at peak efficiency.

2. Enhanced Security

A private LTE network can help to enhance security in several ways, including the following:

• By using a private network, enterprises can avoid using the shared infrastructure of a public LTE network. This helps reduce the risk of third parties intercepting or compromising sensitive data.
• It can be configured to support end-to-end encryption, which helps to ensure that data is protected while in transit.
• A private network can be better monitored and controlled than a public network, making it easier to identify and resolve potential security issues. As a result, a private LTE network can be an effective way to improve security for an enterprise.

3. Increase Mobility

One of the key benefits of LTE is its ability to support mobility. Unlike earlier generations of wireless networks, LTE was designed from the ground up to support mobile devices. This means that LTE networks can provide a consistent and high-quality experience for users even when they are moving at high speeds, such as when traveling on a bus or train. As a result, private LTE networks can significantly increase mobility for businesses and organizations that need to keep their employees connected while on the move and for organizations that need to stay connected in challenging environments.

For example, private LTE networks can increase mobility by providing coverage in areas where there is no public mobile phone coverage or by providing additional capacity to support high-density user scenarios, such as conventions, festivals, or sporting events. Private LTE networks can also be used to provide critical communications in emergency situations where public mobile phone networks may be overloaded or unavailable.

4. Lower Costs

A private LTE network is a great way to lower costs for your business by doing the following:

• Reducing the need for leased lines or other forms of dedicated connectivity.
• Enabling the use of unlicensed spectrum is typically less expensive than licensed spectrum.
• Allowing for the sharing of infrastructure between multiple users, which can help to reduce the overall cost of ownership.
• Provide a more efficient way to use bandwidth and other resources.

Overall, a private LTE network can be an excellent way to lower costs while still providing high-quality connectivity, improved security, and reliability.

5. Tailored Solution

A private LTE network is a bespoke, end-to-end solution designed to meet an enterprise customer’s specific requirements. Unlike a public LTE network, which many users share, a private LTE network is dedicated to a single customer. This allows for high customization and control, making it possible to tailor the network to the enterprise’s specific needs.

For example, a private LTE network can be:

• Configured to prioritize certain types of traffic, such as voice or video, and can be designed to support a wide range of applications and devices.
• Integrated with other enterprise systems, such as security and access control systems.
• Designed to cover a small geographic area, such as a factory floor or a campus.

This makes private LTE networks ideal for organizations that need high-speed connectivity but do not have the resources to deploy a traditional LTE network.

As a result, a private LTE network provides an enterprise with a highly flexible and scalable solution that can meet their specific needs.

Is It Right for Your Business?

If you’re thinking about investing in a private LTE network or a private 5G network for your business, there are a few things you should keep in mind.

• First, determine whether you need a wide or local area network. A private LTE network will typically cover a large area, while a private 5G network will have a more limited range.
• Next, consider the amount of traffic your business will likely generate. If you have high data demands, you’ll need a network that can handle those demands.
• Finally, consider what kind of applications you’ll use on your network. Private LTE and 5G networks can support various applications, so make sure the network you select is compatible with the applications you need.

Considering these factors and the top five benefits, you can choose the right private LTE or 5G network for your business.

Have questions? Contact Us.

Contact ATEC Wireless to learn how we can help your organization design, plan and deploy the right private network that suits your specific needs.