Small business network: The benefits of a private wireless network for small businesses

Choosing a connectivity solution for a small business can establish the technical foundation for company operations, from the speed and reliability needed to deliver a smooth customer experience, to providing employees with productivity tools to help them innovate and work efficiently. A private wireless network for small businesses can help provide flexibility, security and low-latency performance needed to support advanced business applications and technologies and help protect company data for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs).

What is a private wireless network for a small business?

When choosing a network solution for their small business, companies often rely on incumbent cable or public cellular networks to conduct business and keep employees connected. A private wireless network can be a secure alternative that offers a customized, dedicated cellular network exclusively for your business. Private wireless networks can be confined to a single location or support connectivity across multiple locations.

Private wireless networks leverage dedicated infrastructure such as small cells, a dedicated packet core or even optional mobile edge computing (MEC) services to support individual use cases. A private wireless network for small businesses can provide a customized environment to deliver high speed and capacity, along with the low latency that certain advanced applications and technologies demand.

Why choose a private wireless network for a small business

Private wireless networks can offer small businesses the ability to customize their connectivity and tailor it to specific experiences. A private 5G network can go further, bringing ultrafast, low-latency 5G wireless connectivity to your location, enhancing your business's efficiency, agility and security. A small business may consider this option to support the following needs and use cases:

● A dedicated private wireless network may offer enhanced security by allowing a business to restrict traffic to approved users and devices. This can reduce interference and keep an organization’s sensitive data within its own network. A private 5G network can also provide access to network health and monitoring resources and tools that can help mitigate the impact of cyber threats.

● Private wireless networks may help small businesses as their connectivity requirements scale beyond the capabilities of Wi-Fi and extend to complex indoor setups or outside the building. For example, supporting remote field workers or empowering retail workers trying to complete tasks in the parking lot or storage areas.

● A small business private wireless network can offer greater flexibility and scalability to adapt connectivity solutions to the changing needs of a small business.

● A managed network services partner can offer additional support for small businesses, such as network equipment customized to quality of service (QoS) requirements, assisted deployments or ongoing network monitoring and assistance.

● Near real-time data access can allow SMBs to gather operational data and understand the status of the network at any time, helping them deliver a smooth and agile connectivity experience.

Use cases for a private wireless network for small businesses

Small businesses in various industries can benefit from private 5G wireless network deployments. Private wireless network use cases for SMBs across various industries include:

Manufacturing use cases (h3)

Manufacturers may rely on various connectivity technologies to power key systems and boost uptime. Private 5G wireless networks can help with a wide range of applications that require high bandwidth, low latency and consistent coverage to support facility operations and other functions. Private 5G network connectivity may help support the development of advanced automation and design, including digital twins, remote robotics and high-definition video for quality control. In addition, a private wireless network can enhance workforce safety by enabling near real-time communication and monitoring and enabling remote maintenance and other technical support applications.

Retail use cases (h3)

A 5G private wireless network for small businesses can help retailers with the robust connectivity, performance and security needed for their growing business needs. Further, it can provide consistent coverage, including in areas where public Wi-Fi coverage is spotty.  Private wireless networks can power essential retail solutions that help small retail businesses enhance operational efficiency and deliver excellent customer experiences, such as camera vision for loss prevention, IoT sensors for real-time inventory tracking and robotics for inventory management or cleaning. A private 5G wireless network can also help retailers drive greater efficiency by leveraging near real-time data for advanced operational insights, enhancing predictive maintenance capabilities and tracking customer shopping behaviors.

Transportation use cases (h3)

A private 5G wireless network can help transportation companies get the high bandwidth,  low latency and secure connectivity needed to power the performance the industry requires. Selected use cases include supporting worker safety by enabling near real-time communication and monitoring, providing end-to-end supply chain visibility, driving product quality sensors and video-based loss prevention tools. It can also facilitate edge connectivity to help enable condition-based monitoring in a variety of transportation settings, from warehouse storage to goods in transit.

The advantages of a 5G private small business network (h2)

A private 5G network for a small business can allow growing organizations to take advantage of a provider's expertise and experience while meeting their unique connectivity needs. Learn more about how Verizon can assist small businesses with the deployment of a private 5G network. Whether you're just starting out or growing by leaps and bounds, Verizon has the solutions you need to power your business.

The author of this content is a paid contributor for Verizon.