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HomeReal Estate NewsHelping CRE Owners & Enterprises Do More with Private LTE Networks

Helping CRE Owners & Enterprises Do More with Private LTE Networks

GEOVERSE’S NETWORK AS A SERVICE

Connecting Your In-Building CBRS Network and Users to the Global Wireless Ecosystem

“There is a code called the Home Network Identifier (HNI) that is unique to every LTE network, public and private. It works, as the name suggests, to help identify the device’s home network to various providers.”

As Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) transitions from a pipe dream into reality, commercial real estate owners and enterprises will soon be able to deploy private CBRS networks. Previous private network solutions provided limited functionality and coverage at bank-breaking prices. But CBRS is opening the door for more user-friendly private LTE networks with carrier-grade quality and reliability and deployed with the ease and low cost of Wi-Fi. Now, the property owner or enterprise holds control of their own network, almost like having a fully furnished tropical connectivity island.

However, some CBRS solutions don’t provide all the features that make an in-building private LTE solution viable. A private LTE network can be tailored to its users, but when they want to roam away from their network and access the outside world, they might realize they’re stranded on a private LTE island.

Geoverse, the Bellevue, Washington based wireless operator, provides passage off of that private LTE island, by offering integrated roaming with other carriers. This platform, called NaaS, or Network as a Service, is a subscription-based solution that connects a local private LTE network to the rest of the mobile, global world.

Geoverse is a subsidiary of ATN International, an owner of telecom service providers across the US and abroad for over thirty years. ATNI’s experience in the telecom service provider industry is an asset to Geoverse and its customers, allowing them to leverage existing relationships with many major mobile operators.

This history allows Geoverse to deliver a private CBRS solution that integrates seamless roaming for users and devices across local, national, and global networks. Geoverse will easily navigate the stormy waters off of the private LTE island, connecting it to the rest of the world.

PRIVATE LTE – THE CONNECTIVITY CHALLENGE BEYOND THE ENTERPRISE

Users cannot inherently roam across multiple wireless networks. For it to work, the participating carriers must individually negotiate and implement basic commercial functionality that enables their subscribers to use each other’s network. However, they first have to identify which network or carrier each device belongs to.

There is a code called the Home Network Identifier (HNI) that is unique to every LTE network, public and private. It works, as the name suggests, to help identify the device’s home network to various providers. This way, when the device roams onto other networks, carriers will be able to check the HNI and know what protocol to use for that provider. The HNI is a global standard for validating authorized users and enabling seamless roaming across public and private networks. It’s as if there’s a harbormaster that must know where a ship came from before letting it dock.

When a building owner or enterprise deploys a private CBRS network, they need to secure a unique HNI. However, when the devices leave that network, they struggle to maintain service. While this may be uncommon for any larger devices, if an employee leaves for the day with their personal CBRS-compatible cell phone, they’d expect to be able to transition from being served by the private network to their public one. The problem is that major wireless service providers have no way of knowing about a private network’s HNI or setting up roaming agreements with them. Most wireless carriers don’t have the time or resources to invest in negotiating with thousands of separate entities to set up these arrangements. They prefer to work with established operators, such as Geoverse.

DELIVERING CONNECTIVITY BEYOND THE ENTERPRISE – GEOVERSE’S NETWORK AS A SERVICE (NAAS)

“Our long-standing relationships and agreements with the national and global wireless carriers, enable us to be a frictionless cellular operator,” Geoverse CEO Rod Nelson said. “Customers can not only enjoy on-premise, private LTE, but they can also easily roam onto national cellular carriers’ networks. We remove the traditional service boundaries between the private and public LTE service domains.”

This is where Geoverse’s NaaS comes in. It is a trusted platform that enables wireless users to move freely beyond the physical borders of the network and into the global wireless ecosystem. These private LTE networks get to leverage Geoverse’s known HNI and the associated roaming relationships. The harbormaster already knows the company, so it will allow any associated ships in, even if it doesn’t recognize them.

“With NaaS, our partners and enterprise customers can leverage our established HNI with their private LTE deployments on day 1,” said Nelson.

“Our long-standing relationships and agreements with the national and global wireless carriers, enable us to be a frictionless cellular operator,” Geoverse CEO Rod Nelson said.”

The Geoverse NaaS powered network also supports critical functionality like Voice over LTE (VoLTE), E911 services, and high-speed connectivity for smartphones, Internet of Things (IoT) devices, wearables, and more.

The IoT functionality enhanced by NaaS presents many opportunities for property owners to take advantage of the CRE industry’s efforts in digital transformation. Smart warehouses and factories already exist in today’s connected world. A CBRS network powered by NaaS enables extended mobility of these smart devices, asset tracking, real-time analytics, and other business-critical use cases, all with the security and reliability of a carrier-grade network.

The company’s GeoCore platform serves as the foundation of the NaaS solution. GeoCore manages the connections of users and devices between the external and private networks. GeoCore’s roaming is so seamless that users don’t have to flip a virtual switch to change to the Geoverse network. This way, no one is stranded on their private LTE island.

PRIVATE LTE, THE PATH TO 5G, AND FUTURES

Perhaps the only topic in the CRE world that’s generating more buzz than CBRS is 5G, the fifth generation of wireless networks. The current 5G specifications have already been updated to include CBRS as an approved technology. This means that, as cell phones and other devices integrate 5G, CBRS will continue to see more widespread use.

“We aren’t just limited to residential CRE. Industry and warehouses have so much potential for a private LTE network,” Jacobellis said. “IoT has already started to find a place in warehouses, and the security and reliability of a private CBRS network will help it continue to grow.”

“We need to stay connected everywhere we go, whether it’s through voice calls in office buildings, IoT devices in factories and warehouses, or high-speed data in hotels and resorts,” said Nelson. “This is where CBRS comes in, and, with it, private LTE networks.”

While isolated private networks have their benefits, most users want to connect to the larger world and global networks. Geoverse and its NaaS platform make sure that a network won’t strand users on an island, and instead allow them to sail free into the worldwide service provider network.

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