I have been working in Telco 5G since 2018 after 15 years in financial services technology. As the 5G ecosystem continues to expand, it’s essential to understand the distinct differences between public 5G and private 5G/mobile private networks. These two approaches to 5G deployment cater to different customer segments and offer unique technical capabilities, catering to the diverse needs of the telecommunications industry. This difference always stumped me and I thought it best to do a blog on this topic for industry practitioners.
From both a business and technology standpoint, there are several key differences between public 5G and private 5G/mobile private networks. Let’s explore these differences in detail.
(Image credit: Nasscom) Public vs Private 5G
Business Considerations – Public vs Private 5G
Public 5G networks are designed to serve the general consumer and enterprise market, offering ubiquitous connectivity to the masses. In contrast, private 5G/mobile private networks are tailored to specific enterprise or industrial customers, addressing their unique connectivity and automation requirements. The service offerings, business models, and regulatory considerations also differ significantly between the two.
- Target Customers:
- Public 5G: Designed to serve the general consumer and enterprise market, offering ubiquitous connectivity to the masses.
- Private 5G/Mobile Private Networks: Tailored to specific enterprise or industrial customers, addressing their unique connectivity and automation requirements.
- Service Offerings:
- Public 5G: Provides a standardized set of services, such as enhanced mobile broadband, ultra-reliable low-latency communication, and massive IoT connectivity.
- Private 5G/Mobile Private Networks: Offers customized services and features based on the specific needs of the enterprise or industrial customer, such as dedicated network slices, guaranteed quality of service, and specialized applications.
- Business Models:
- Public 5G: Follows a traditional telecommunication service provider model, where the network operator monetizes the service offering through subscriptions and data plans.
- Private 5G/Mobile Private Networks: Involves a range of business models, including enterprise-owned and operated networks, network-as-a-service offerings, and partnerships between telecom providers and enterprise customers.
- Regulatory Considerations:
- Public 5G: Subject to national and international regulatory frameworks governing the use of licensed spectrum and network operations.
- Private 5G/Mobile Private Networks: May have different regulatory requirements, depending on the deployment model and the use of licensed, shared, or unlicensed spectrum.
Technical Differences – Public vs Private 5G
From a technical standpoint, public 5G networks are based on a centralized, carrier-grade infrastructure, while private 5G/mobile private networks employ a more distributed and flexible architecture, often leveraging edge computing and network function virtualization. The spectrum utilization also varies, with public 5G relying on licensed spectrum and private 5G/mobile private networks potentially using licensed, shared, or unlicensed spectrum. Public 5G networks provide a standardized level of quality of service (QoS) and reliability, optimized for general use cases. Private 5G/mobile private networks, on the other hand, offer customized QoS and reliability levels tailored to the specific requirements of the enterprise or industrial customer, such as low latency, high availability, and deterministic behavior. Additionally, private 5G/mobile private networks may have more stringent security and compliance requirements compared to public 5G networks.
- Network Architecture:
- Public 5G: Based on a centralized, carrier-grade network infrastructure with a clear separation between the radio access network (RAN) and the core network.
- Private 5G/Mobile Private Networks: Employs a more distributed and flexible architecture, often leveraging edge computing, network function virtualization, and the integration of cloud-native technologies.
- Spectrum Utilization:
- Public 5G: Relies on licensed spectrum allocated by regulatory authorities, ensuring nationwide coverage and seamless mobility.
- Private 5G/Mobile Private Networks: May utilize licensed, shared, or unlicensed spectrum, depending on the deployment scenario and regulatory environment, often focusing on local or site-specific coverage.
- Quality of Service (QoS) and Reliability:
- Public 5G: Provides a standardized level of QoS and reliability, optimized for general use cases and with a focus on ubiquitous connectivity.
- Private 5G/Mobile Private Networks: Offers customized QoS and reliability levels, tailored to the specific requirements of the enterprise or industrial customer, such as low latency, high availability, and deterministic behavior.
- Security and Compliance:
- Public 5G: Follows industry-standard security protocols and regulations applicable to public telecommunication networks.
- Private 5G/Mobile Private Networks: May have more stringent security and compliance requirements, depending on the customer’s industry, data sensitivity, and regulatory environment, such as the need for on-premises data processing or enhanced encryption.
Conclusion
In summary, the key differences between public 5G and private 5G/mobile private networks lie in their target customers, service offerings, business models, regulatory considerations, network architectures, spectrum utilization, QoS, and security requirements. These distinctions highlight the need for a tailored approach to address the diverse connectivity and automation needs of enterprises and industries, as the 5G ecosystem continues to evolve.