Private 5G networks

Fairspectrum has developed a planning tool for private LTE and 5G networks. The work has been carried out together with network manufacturers and European regulators. Another implementation of the similar tool has been in operative use by the Radio Administration of the Netherlands .

The tool is implemented as a cloud service. The interaction with the tool is carried out through a Graphical User Interface (GUI). The system handles spectrum reservations, which are specified in time, frequency and geography. The functionality of the tool is to allow storage and management of the radio spectrum reservations, compute the interference impact between the reservations and visualize the spectrum use.

An important functionality of 5G networks is to support industrial verticals. There are two main regulative, technical and business options to create a dedicated network to an industry vertical: network slicing and private LTE/5G licenses for industry verticals. The tool helps the regulators to begin efficient spectrum management to private LTE/5G networks. The tool helps operators to search for spectrum operators and to plan their spectrum use. It can also be used for creating an automated radio license.

The European Union Ministerial Declaration published in 2017 supports opening frequency bands also for and private 5G networks. National private LTE/5G network regulations have been published in Europe e.g. by Finland (2.3 GHz, 26 GHz), Germany (3.7-3.8 GHz), France (2.6 GHz), the Netherlands (2.3, 3.5, 3.7-3.8 GHz), the UK (1.8, 2.3, 3.8-4.2 GHz), Sweden (3.7-3.8 GHz), and Croatia (3.6 GHz).