The Growing Importance of Private Networks for Enterprises

Cristina Betanzo: And if you’ve got hundreds or even thousands of assets in any one location, the total cost of ownership to deploy your own private network and run it securely within your own enterprise network is way less costly over a five-year period, and arguably much quicker than the ongoing OPEX costs of connectivity per device. Welcome to Keep It Private, exploring private networks, where we’re going to talk about CBRS, LTE, 5G, and even our old friend Wi-Fi, and how keeping it private can help resolve many enterprise networking issues and risks. I’m Cristina Betanzo.

Hardik Jain: And I’m Hardik Jain. And we’re your hosts for this show, so sit back and enjoy.

In today’s episode, we’ll discuss how different use cases and devices drive the need for a private cellular network. For that, we’re thrilled to have Daniel Quant, Vice President and General Manager for Gateways, Routers, and Modems Business Units at Multitech, joining us to share his expert opinion. Thank you, Daniel, for joining us today.

Daniel Quant: Yeah, thanks, guys. Glad to be here.

How Use Cases Drive the Demand for Private Cellular Networks

Hardik Jain: Thank you, Dan, for joining us today. Maybe we could start with a brief conversation by providing some context to our listeners. Let’s discuss your thoughts on how the need for private cellular networks originates and how it relates to requirements and end-use cases from various industries that you’re seeing today.

Daniel Quant: Yeah, from my perspective, enterprises are looking to digitize more and more of their assets, right? They want to automate more of their processes and become more productive. In order to do that, you need to connect all of your assets and your people. A lot of those assets and people are going to be located in specific places, like HQs or manufacturing facilities. These enterprises have been connecting assets for years using Ethernet and Wi-Fi. So, of course, they want to continue expanding their private network. They don’t want to pay for every new device on a public network, like having 10,000 devices on a public operator. Instead, they want to capitalize on the investment by having their own private network, keeping data within their buildings, and ensuring higher security.

Hardik Jain: Very interesting. So they’re able to use their existing infrastructure, maybe connected to a public cellular network, but now also connected to a private cellular network. They’re expanding and adding more devices to it.

Daniel Quant: Exactly. There are still so many assets that are stranded in enterprises. To enable more automation, these assets need to be connected. Additionally, with today’s labor shortages, people aren’t staying at companies for as long as they used to. In the past, employees would spend decades gaining experience and picking up skills, but that’s no longer the case.

For example, in a production facility, new employees don’t have the experience, so there’s a need for automation to guide them, like telling them which bolts to screw in and when. That kind of automation requires connectivity.

Private Networks Across Industries: Enhancing Automation and Connectivity

Hardik Jain: Indeed, this applies well to the industrial segment—manufacturing, warehousing, oil and gas, as you were just describing. Are there any other specific segments benefiting from private 5G?

Daniel Quant: Yes, oil and gas is a great example. They have many assets spread out over large areas, and while many of the more expensive assets have been connected for years, they’re restricted in how much data they can get from those devices. For example, they might pull data from a machine once a day, and they only get basic statistics. With private cellular, you get broadband connectivity, which enables more frequent and detailed data collection. This is a huge benefit, especially in logistics. Every company wants to be like Amazon with fast turnaround times, and automation is key to that.

Hardik Jain: Very interesting. So from your perspective, is this more about multi-tech devices always being connected, but now having more bandwidth? Or are you also seeing a shift from other technologies, like Wi-Fi, to private cellular?

Daniel Quant: There’s definitely a convergence happening. Enterprises are no longer looking for 20 different networks to handle 20 applications. They want one technology that can manage everything, and we’re seeing this convergence around technologies like Ethernet, Wi-Fi, cellular, LoRaWAN, and Bluetooth. These five technologies are addressing most use cases now.

Private Cellular Networks: The Superior Solution for Enterprise Security

Hardik Jain: You mentioned a lot of the use cases are driven by TCO, ROI, and productivity. How do you think security plays a role in enterprise decision-making?

Daniel Quant: Security is at the top of the list. For enterprises, keeping data inside their buildings, within their private networks, offers the ultimate security. They don’t want to risk having their data exposed by using public networks. With private networks, especially for critical infrastructure like energy and utilities, they can implement encryption, secure SIM cards, and higher-layer security protocols. This creates a much more secure environment for their assets and data.

Hardik Jain: That’s true. Security can drive decisions, especially when meeting regulatory requirements. How do you think Multitech caters to these needs, both from a security and a TCO perspective?

Daniel Quant: Our products are very fit for purpose. We manufacture in the U.S., which is key for enterprises in critical sectors. Plus, we’ve been around for over 50 years, which means enterprises can trust that our products will be supported for many years. This long-term reliability is crucial for many of our customers.

Securing Private 5G Networks: Cybersecurity Across Multiple Protocols

Hardik Jain: I’d like to touch more on security. Many of our listeners ask about security in private 5G, particularly where gateways are involved—when transitioning from cellular to Ethernet, Wi-Fi, or LoRa. How do you think about security across protocols, and how do you address threat vectors?

Daniel Quant: We approach cybersecurity in different ways. At the lower end of our portfolio, we have basic connectivity products, like USB to cellular interfaces, which are encrypted at the network level. As we move up to more advanced products like routers and industrial gateways, we add more functionality, including secure onboarding, digital authentication, and signed firmware. At the higher end, we have device management platforms that ensure secure onboarding, manage applications, and authenticate data transfers. We’ve seen a rapid rise in zero-touch onboarding for scalability, and this brings additional cybersecurity measures to ensure secure connections and data integrity.

Hardik Jain: Thank you, Dan. This has been extremely informative. You’ve given us a great perspective on private networks and how they benefit enterprises. Thank you to our listeners for tuning in and gaining insights from today’s discussion.

Daniel Quant: It’s been a pleasure. Don’t hesitate to start your private network evaluation. You’ll be impressed by how quickly it helps digitize your enterprise.