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Private 5G – what is it and who can benefit from it?

In healthcare, industry and public work, work is increasingly done on the move and on mobile devices. The work relies on a growing number of devices, a continuous flow of data and real-time communication. Private 5G has emerged as an option in environments where even a short outage can endanger security or stop critical operations. 

Private 5G can bring more control, reliability, and performance to your organisation. Mission-critical workflows stay running even when something unexpected happens.

Why have connections become critical to operations? 

Teams are constantly moving, IoT devices are producing data non-stop, and mobile devices are transmitting alerts and information about patients or production. Digital tools are being introduced to improve staff safety, make work more efficient, and keep operations running smoothly in complex environments.  

When workflows are closely linked to each other, a stable connection is the basis for operational reliability.  

"There is a clear increase in interest in the private 5G network – especially in healthcare, where the pressures of everyday life are high and traditional technologies are starting to limit development," says Andreas Myhrman, Product Manager at Ascom. 

What is private 5G? 

A private 5G network, or 5G private network, is built for the organisation's own needs. It can be implemented as your own network on site or as a service from an operator. The technology is the same as in public 5G networks, but the organisation will have more control over how traffic is prioritised, how coverage is planned in critical areas, and how the network is managed and configured. 

In practice, private 5G is its own additional mobile network for a hospital, campus or industrial area, for example. 

The performance of the private 5G network will be more consistent because capacity will not be shared with public network users. Licensed frequencies allocated to the organisation can be used in the network, reducing interference. The result is strong indoor and outdoor coverage, as well as the very low latency required by mobile workflows. 

A local core network can be connected to private 5G. This enables local survivability: calls, alarms and messages work even when the external internet connection is lost. Operational reliability is especially critical in environments where even a short outage can compromise safety or cause major financial losses.

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Comparison: Wi-Fi, public 5G and private 5G

Management and security

  • Wi-Fi: Organization-owned and locally managed; Strong security when configured correctly, but a shared frequency band exposes to interference
  • Public 5G: Carrier-owned and shared capacity; the organisation has limited control; Information security is based on operator solutions
  • Private 5G: Owned by an organisation or partner; full or shared control of the radio access network (RAN), the core network and network policies; very high security (SIM-based authentication, local data management, segmentation)

Performance and reliability

  • Wi-Fi: Strong indoor; low to moderate latency; shared bandwidth is easily congested; Susceptible to interference
  • Public 5G: High throughput and low latency, but indoor coverage varies; stability depends on the public load on the network
  • Private 5G: Predictable performance and ultra-low latency; dedicated capacity; Traffic can be prioritised

Coverage and scalability

  • Wi-Fi: Best for indoors; limited outdoors; Scalability is limited by access point density, interference and shared frequency band
  • Public 5G: Wide macro coverage; strong outdoors, weak deep indoors; Scales to a very large number of mobile users
  • Private 5G: Customized indoor-outdoor coverage with local base stations (cells); highly scalable (high device density, network slicing, and traffic prioritisation)

Reliability

  • Wi-Fi: Local LAN services work even without an internet connection
  • Public 5G: Limited local reliability; services dependent on the operator's core network
  • Private 5G: Local core network and edge computing keep critical services running even when offline

Applications and costs

  • Wi-Fi: Works especially for guest networks, offices, and non-critical workflows; low start-up cost + maintenance, AP amount increases costs
  • Public 5G: Works especially for mobile personnel and with wide outdoor coverage; Recurring subscription and data charges
  • Private 5G: Works especially for personal safety, automation, robotics, critical alarms and logistics; higher initial investment but lower long-term TCO in industrial use

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