In our earlier blog Private Networks - Security Issues part 1 our team of IoT experts discussed how private networks are growing rapidly - and are expected to receive more investment than public networks over the next decade.
The growth of Private Networks is not a new phenomenon, but LTE and, more recently, 5G technologies have drawn considerable attention to their potential, particularly in the manufacturing industry, as well as the transport and logistic sectors (such as airports).
Polaris Market Research predicts that the global 5G private network market will grow at a CAGR of 40.9% between 2020 and 2028. A rise in demand for ultra-reliable low latency connectivity for industrial applications, including industrial sensors and collaborative robots is a key factor driving the market growth, it says.
Meanwhile, ABI Research forecasts that the private network market could be worth US$16.3 billion by 2025. Furthermore, it predicts that spending on private and shared enterprise networks will surpass spending on public cellular networks within the next 15 years.
Private Networks and security
Mobile Private Networks differ from public mobile networks in that they provide “private reserved coverage that is subject to agreed performance and local, protected data flow”.
However, there are challenges around ensuring data security when devices roam between private networks and public networks that need to be addressed.
In Telecom26’s white paper Meeting the enterprise data security challenge of roaming on 4G LTE and 5G Private Networks we discuss these multiple challenges in maintaining corporate security when devices are roaming between private networks and public networks.
Telecom26 provides a unique, reliable, and highly secure solution to overcome all of the challenges of private networks in a number of ways including ensuring controlled subscriber access, and reliable and rapid handover to improve QoE.
But most importantly Telecom26 enables complete visibility into all mobile data transferred to or from any Telecom26-enabled device on any network – public or private.
Telecom26 enables global SI to deliver managed mobile security for the private network of leading chemicals manufacturer
A leading US-based producer of materials and chemicals experienced issues with data security and data leakage from one of its manufacturing facilities due to the use of employee mobile devices.
It had two choices:
- ban all on-site mobile devices; or,
- deploy a private network with fully managed security capabilities.
Mobile devices can be viewed as ‘USB-like storage devices’, transferring data almost undetected via means such as NFC, USB, Airdrop, Bluetooth, and so on. Once on the device, this data is then visible to many other connections, including the Internet. Of course, this can create a security breach for organisations if a device is not fully security managed.
In this case, the customer chose one of the world’s best-known systems integrators (SI) to deploy a greenfield private network. In turn, Telecom26 was chosen to work with the SI to provide complete security management for all mobile devices used on the customer site.
The customer required 500 managed devices – however, the Telecom26 solution can scale limitlessly should the customer require expansion in future.
Telecom26’s unique dual-SIM solution now provides the customer with complete visibility into all data transferred to or from any Telecom26-enabled device, whether it’s on the public network or the customer’s private network.
If any data security breach is detected, the Telecom26 SIM sends a notification to the customer, allowing them to ‘lock down’ the device by ensuring that no sensitive data is transferred from the device.
A further benefit of dual SIMs is that they ensure managed connectivity of the device to the most appropriate network – so, if one SIM detects that the device has entered the private network it will ensure optimal connectivity, while the other SIM is de-registered from the public network – ensuring that data is never transferred unwittingly between the two. The same process occurs when the device leaves the private network.
The dual SIMs also minimise device ‘drop out’ as it moves between private networks and macro networks, thus ensuring improved QoE for the user.
Telecom26 is unique in being able to offer a dual-SIM managed security solution for private networks. But we also provide single SIMs and eSIM hybrids, ensuring that we can meet the managed mobile security requirements of any organisation, whether a greenfield deployment or a private network transformation.
We work with major SIs (as in this case) to provide full mobile managed security, or we can also provide our own end-to-end solution through our network of infrastructure and connectivity affiliates and partners – one of which is currently helping Nokia to deploy private networks.
To learn more about private networks and roaming on 4G and 5G private networks please read our white paper Meeting the enterprise data security challenge of roaming on 4G LTE and 5G Private Networks.
And, if you’d like to discuss your private network and global connectivity requirements in more detail then please contact us.
