With the standardization of 3GPP Rel-16 features, much more focused on providing necessary capabilities for the support of mission-critical services and ultra-reliable low-latency communications (uRLLC), 5G systems are rapidly gaining recognition as an all-inclusive critical communications platform for industry digitization. By providing authority over wireless coverage and capacity, private 5G network market ensures guaranteed and secured connectivity, while supporting a wide range of applications, ranging from push-totalk group communications and real-time video delivery to wireless control and automation in industrial environments. This has motivated to a wide variety of industry verticals (e.g. militaries, utilities, railway and port operators, public safety agencies, manufacturers) to start making sizeable investments in private 5G networks. Apart from these actors, a number of independent neutral-host and wholesale operators are also stepping up with pioneering business models to provide 5G connectivity services to both mobile network operators and enterprises, particularly in indoor settings and locations like public venues (e.g. stadia, shopping malls, transportation hubs), where it is technically or economically not feasible for traditional operators to deliver substantial wireless coverage and capacity.
The success of private 5G networks will be judged by the level of utilization of its advanced capabilities by OT organizations to deliver new and innovative services that are stable enough to introduce into the market. The widespread adoption of private 5G networks will only become a reality if their operational costs are small, and a seamless interworking between 5G access and other industry technologies (e.g. wired Ethernet, Wi-Fi) is achieved. To that end, a deep involvement of the ICT organizations (e.g. mobile network operators, vendors,
hardware supplier and software developers) is required. The mission of these organizations is to provide necessary network capabilities to make 5G private networks ready for use, allowing the OT organizations focus on their core business. Examples of these capabilities include spectrum management, multi-RAN and multi-tenancy support, SDN/NFV-powered infrastructure slicing, and data-driven network management.
5G-CLARITY focuses on the design, integration and operation of some of these ICT industry provided capabilities in private networks, with the definition of a novel system solution. The project develops and demonstrate a beyond 5G system for private networks integrating 5G, Wi-Fi, and LiFi technologies, and managed through AI based autonomic networking. 5G-CLARITY aims to be instrumental in order to secure the leadership of Europe in the growing markets of private 5G networks, and 5G for factory automation.
