AT&T, much like every 5G operator, looks forward to selling and deploying private networks to enterprises, but some of its goals require further development.

Network slicing, for example, which allows operators to create independent private networks that act like completely separate operations, requires a 5G standalone core, something AT&T has yet to deploy.

The operator is, in the interim, framing how it views the private enterprise network opportunity in three classes. The first isn’t technically private so much as a densification of AT&T’s public 5G network at a large private venue like AT&T Stadium.

“Others are enhancing their 5G coverage with the ability to control specific local traffic themselves,” and peeling off “certain data flows for edge computing,” Rita Marty, VP at 5G security architecture at AT&T, wrote in a blog post.

Factories, manufacturing plants, and warehouses can use mobile edge computing to process critical data quickly on premises to address quality, safety, and inventory issues, she explained. 

The third leg of AT&T’s private 5G network strategy addresses what Marty calls a “truly private, standalone 5G system,” akin to a wired local area network. This is where network slicing will play a critical role to the extent mobile network operators like AT&T are involved.

Most of AT&T’s activities in mobile edge computing and private 5G networks are in trials and testing, but Marty suggests that fully operational private 5G networks from AT&T are coming to offices and industrial campuses soon. 

Private 5G networks are “for companies who are thinking about big-time numbers of connections in a building, campus, or industrial area — along with extra security and more operational control,” she wrote.

“In the past, a local network with these lofty goals had to be wired, not wireless. It was limited to physical connections and high costs. The excitement over 5G is that is can deliver fast speeds, lower latency, and massive connectivity — but without the need to be tethered to wall outlets,” Marty explained. 

Private networks also need careful thought and consultation, she added. “Considerations include design, spectrum, and who’s going to actually run it. Even a standalone network, and even 5G, must be set up properly to achieve the highest security against cyberattacks.”