The arrival of Wi-Fi connected people like never before, enabling them to send instant communications across the globe. But with demand for quality, always on connectivity higher than ever before, Wi-Fi’s capabilities are falling short of those offered by cellular networks. Wi-Fi technology has about three to four years before it is solely used for small-scale networking deployments with short range requirements, like homes and small businesses.

Instead of Wi-Fi, private 5G networks need to be put in place to help bridge the digital divide. Across the industry we’re seeing demand for private networks from customers matched by original solutions providers such as Ericsson and Nokia, who are pushing their capabilities in this space. 5G has stepped up the offering made by 4G as apps and use cases can now function seamlessly through the higher bandwidth and low latency 5G provides.

For a private cellular network to not only exist, but thrive, however, the correct gateways and modules must be deployed – otherwise users will not experience the full spectrum of benefits. 5G offers an efficient way to deliver private networks in a secure manner through the same architecture as public networks – which is why we will see them adopted en-masse to level the playing field when it comes to internet access.