Wi-Fi 6 and 5G for IoT mean fewer barriers to deployment

With 5G, IoT users may have three options to improve both mobile-device support and coverage for very large facilities. The most obvious is that a 5G public network can support sensors and controllers anywhere there’s cellular coverage, making it the ideal choice for widely spread sensors or sensors on transportation vehicles, whether road, rail or river. A complete 5G deployment — called 5G Standalone or 5G Core — will also offer a completely new kind of network: the slice.

With network slicing, a 5G carrier can create an almost private 5G network 5G offers a final option: a fully private 5G network. These networks can be based on either licensed or unlicensed, shared spectrums. The power of the stations and their range will probably vary based on different countries’ local regulations, but they’re likely to have far greater range than Wi-Fi 6. What makes a fully private 5G network potentially practical is the trend toward open-model 5G networking, from the radio access network inward to the core. It’s already possible to build a 5G network from white box hardware and open source software, and it’s likely to get easier over time.