Verizon taps 5G for private network business boost

INTERVIEW: US giant Verizon reckons private wireless networks aren’t a new business for mobile operators, but virtualisation and 5G are creating new capabilities for this deployment model.

Adam Koeppe, SVP of technology, strategy, architecture and planning at the operator, told Mobile World Live video processing, edge compute-enabled applications, and AR and VR are among the enterprise applications which will require 5G and can benefit from a private network.

“Creating a custom network for a particular location” is the goal of private wireless deployments, Koeppe noted, adding this does not mean every private network is completely unique.

Verizon aims to deliver a “repeatable set of deployments that can be scalable based on individual customer needs,” Koeppe explained.

He said his team spends considerable time with customers understanding the requirements of each use case to tailor the service.

During the interview, Koeppe also explained the different ways Verizon can deploy private network infrastructure and software based on enterprise requirements.