5G Solutions

Discover why Cegeka is trailblazing in ICT
with 5G Connect

Our 5G offering consists of roughly two parts: 5G Connect – the communications or network layer ‘proper’, and 5G applications – the application landscape that can be built on top of this 5G network. And while it’s easy to see how A.I.-infused 5G applications will fundamentally change the way we do business, that is only half of our story. 5G-Connect in itself also promising to be a game-changer.

5G-Connect in a nutshell

We focus on deploying 5G-powered MPNs or Mobile Private Networks for businesses (b2b) and government (b2g). Our 5G-Connect solution comes in two types: PNI-NPNs and SNPNs.

5G-Connect PNI-NPN

= a 5G Public Network Integrated Non-Public Network. This is a 5G network for private ‘enterprise’ use, which nevertheless enables people and mobile objects to maintain connectivity outside the 5G bubble (which can be a campus, an industrial site, a hospital and so on) by accessing the public network. 5G-Connect PNI-NPN can be run from the cloud, including the Cegeka datacenters.

5G-Connect SNPN

= a 5G Standalone Non-Public Network. This differs from a PNI-NPN in that it is completely isolated, with no connectivity outside of the 5G network. SNPNs generally come at a higher cost, since all the hard- and software need to be deployed on site. This is not the case for PNI-NPNs, which can be run from the cloud.

One of the very attractive capabilities of 5G is that it enables ‘slicing’, i.e. the ‘division’ of the 5G network in different lanes or ‘slices’, which do not interfere with each other. A slice is a virtual network which offers, like vLANs or MPLS, advanced connectivity with QoS (Quality of Service) as well as isolation, security, manageability, access and stability. This is why a 5G-network is so attractive: it gives the CIO and CISO back control.

5G-Connect is designed to run on distributed and open platforms, with network functions being broken down into microservices and wrapped in containers for easier deployment across different computing platforms, including the Edge, private and public clouds. This will result in a broad and open ecosystem of hard- and software providers, which in turn will drive down costs and speed up innovation cycles.

Cegeka’s ability to deploy PNI-NPNs gives our customers the power and flexibility of ‘hybrid’ IT networks, where a portion of data traffic and network functionality remains on premise on dedicated computing platforms, while other portions are handled by centralized shared computing platforms

5G Connect: benefit from our ‘greenfield’ approach

With 5G-Connect, we’re doing things differently in a fundamental way. Unlike the large MNOs, which have vast infrastructures in place and expensive legacy systems to maintain, we are starting from scratch and on the cutting edge of the latest technological innovations.

Although our projects will be ‘greenfield’, our people are far from green when it comes to relevant expertise. As an IT company, our proven strengths in cloud systems, containerization and Edge computing, play a key role in our 5G offering,

This means that our customers reap all the benefits of 5G – ultra-low latency, superior reliability, massive data throughput – efficiently and cost effectively. We have the flexibility to select technologies and approaches that precisely meet the needs of each business case, without having to take the intrinsic limitations and pitfalls of legacy systems into account.

Cegeka is also investigating partnerships with technology co-innovators that will support this tech-driven 5G trajectory – experienced companies with complementary strengths and product offerings.

5G Connect: an alignment of stars

5G Connect is enabled by an alignment of these three stars

1. Release 16 is here, and it’s going to change everything

Finalized in July 2020, Release 16 is central to 5G Connect. As the latest release in the underlying technology standards governing 5G, it was developed by and for industry (not broadband consumers). It’s the first release to prioritize 5G differentiators, like ultra-reliability and ultra-low latency, essential for mission-critical IT applications in industrial and manufacturing environments.

2. More flexibility than ever with O-RAN

The O-RAN – Open RAN – Consortium was recently created to define and standardize features of 5G radio systems in the EU. This is a game-changer for B2B 5G because the underlying technology is less proprietary as a result. Our customers get unparalleled flexibility in choosing secure 5G radio technologies without getting “locked in” by a single vendor.

3. Completely software-based services

At Cegeka, virtualization is our bread and butter. The architecture of a 5G network was built from the ground up to accommodate service-based computing – when hardware and network functions are recreated in virtualized IT environments. The result is cloud-native, flexible, agile IT services that scale up or down according to the needs of the business, with no hardware limitations.

Why choose Cegeka for your 5G MPN

Your business requires a unique solution

At Cegeka, we never take a one-size-fits-all – or even a one-size-fits-two – approach. In close collaboration with your team, we tailor our 5G solutions to your needs and your strategic roadmap.

We know your vertical and understand your needs

By applying our profound understanding of operations, challenges and opportunities in each of our focal industrial segments, we add value and bring impactful solutions where you need them most.

We offer significant added value as an IT company

We’re an IT company. Application development, IoT, Artificial Intelligence: we know how these things work. Our Cegeka ‘private cloud’ datacenters, help you reduce the total cost of your 5G MPN.

Our focus is on b2b, not consumers

Unlike the big telco companies, our focus is not on consumers, but on businesses, like yours. This choice allows us to apply focus where focus is needed.

Get in touch with a 5G-expert

Herbert Vanhove
Specialist 5G

Want to get in touch with one of our 5G-experts with your business-related question? Fill out this form and we will get back to you.