Verizon launches On Site 5G private networks for the enterprise, public sector
Verizon Business on Thursday launched On Site 5G, a service that brings private 5G networks to enterprise and public sector facilities. Verizon's customers can deploy the service at any indoor or outdoor US facility, regardless of whether it's within a public 5G Ultra Wideband coverage area.
The private networks are custom-designed and managed by Verizon. They're non-standalone, meaning they combine 5G Ultra Wideband small cells with the LTE packet core and radios of On Site LTE. With a non-standalone network, customers can leverage both 5G Ultra Wideband and 4G LTE capabilities. It also makes it easy for customers to upgrade to On Site 5G if they're already using Verizon's On Site LTE private networking.
Private 5G networks will help organizations deploy applications that require high-speed, high-capacity, low-latency connectivity. That could be anything from VR employee training to remote-controlled machinery. With On Site 5G, cellular traffic stays on premises, but authorized remote users can still access enterprise applications.
Verizon has already helped build private 5G networks for organizations like Corning, Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Miramar, Mcity at the University of Michigan, WeWork, and others. Earlier this year, the telco began 5G deployment at Tyndall Air Force Base as part of a broader network deployment initiative with the US Air Force.
In a statement, Verizon Business Chief Revenue Officer Sampath Sowmyanarayan said On Site 5G "opens the commercial floodgates for the promises of 5G Ultra Wideband."
As it offers business-focused services like On Site 5G, Verizon is busy building out its 5G Ultra Wideband and nationwide network. At its Investor Day presentation in March, Verizon said it plans to build another 14,000 millimeter wave sites this year, offering what Verizon CFO Matthew Ellis called "the ultimate experience of 5G." The company is also making significant investments to expand C-Band 5G, which will bolster its network-as-a-service strategy.
While Verizon is well-positioned on the business front -- with a bevy of ecosystem partners such as AWS -- the battleground for 5G consumer lines is brutal, as T-Mobile takes share.