Behind Three & Ericsson’s ‘First-Of-Its-Kind’ Enterprise 5G

Nowadays, private 5G networks are becoming increasingly popular amongst businesses.

For companies, a private network is like having a personal motorway to drive down at top speed, rather than sharing busy public roads filled with dangerous drivers. Private 5G isn't just a luxury for some businesses, though. It's fast becoming absolutely essential.

Organisations that handle sensitive data, like hospitals or banks, need to have complete control over the information of their clientele.

In factories, any disruption in connection could result in a shutdown of machinery or major safety hazards.

Then there are businesses in remote locations, like mines or ports, which cannot depend on patchy public coverage to stay operational.

Private 5G networks can offer these kinds of assurances, so it's easy to see why businesses are interested.

Capitalising on this enthusiasm are Three and Ericsson. The pair of telco heavyweights have decided to launch their own joint enterprise 5G offering this week, targeting businesses in Ireland with a wider rollout expected in the future.

Inside Three & Ericsson's partnership

Three Ireland already has the largest mobile network in the country, giving them deep knowledge of what Irish businesses actually need.

Ericsson, meanwhile, has been building the backbone of global telco for decades and knows how to make complex technology work seamlessly.

Together, the companies are offering something called 3Business Broadband Pro – a managed service that takes all the headaches out of running a private 5G network.

"In an age of digital transformation, Three understands how important it is for businesses to have solutions that are agile, reliable and secure," says Ciara O’Reilly, Head of Business Product at Three Ireland.

"We are delighted to launch our new 3Business Broadband Pro offering, which demonstrates our commitment to supporting our customers' needs through continued innovation.

"Utilising Ericsson’s transformational technology, 3Business Broadband Pro will truly alter how businesses control and engage with their own connectivity systems, providing an enhanced means of managing their users and hardware remotely.”

Removing complexity from connectivity

The beauty of this approach is that businesses do not need to become technology experts overnight.

Instead of hiring specialist engineers and wrestling with complicated equipment, companies are able to sign up for a service that works intuitively.

The system uses Ericsson's NetCloud platform – effectively a control panel that enables management of all connected devices from one place.

Whether clients run a chain of retail stores or manage a sprawling industrial site, users can monitor everything remotely.

The hardware itself is equally impressive without being overwhelming.

The Cradlepoint X10 router that powers the whole system even comes with battery backup, so businesses remain connected even when the lights go out.

For companies that have experienced the frustration of losing connectivity during storms or power cuts, this kind of reliability is worth its weight in gold.

The partnership is particularly innovative in how it addresses one of the biggest pain points for businesses – getting help when things go wrong.

Three's customer service team in Limerick can access user equipment remotely to fix problems, which means no more delays while waiting around for engineers.

This underlying practical thinking shows both companies understand what running a business is actually like.

Perfect timing for Irish businesses

Irish businesses are quickly realising that legacy internet connections are not up to the job anymore.

Remote working has become more prevalent since the COVID-19 pandemic, and companies need networks that can handle video calls, cloud applications and all the other digital tools that the modern working world demands.

At the same time, more and more devices are connecting to company networks.

From security cameras to smart heating systems, the number of gadgets that need internet access is growing exponentially.

Traditional broadband connections start to buckle under this kind of pressure, but 5G networks are designed to handle thousands of connected devices without breaking a sweat.

The security angle is particularly important for Irish businesses, especially given the increasingly strict data protection regulations.

With a private 5G network, companies know exactly where their data is going and who has access to it.

There's no sharing bandwidth with competitors or worrying about sensitive information travelling through public networks.

The future of business connectivity

Looking ahead, this partnership could be just the beginning of a much bigger shift in how businesses think about connectivity.

As more companies recognise the limitations of traditional broadband, private 5G networks are likely to become as common as having dedicated company websites.

The fact that Three and Ericsson are making this technology accessible to businesses of all sizes, not just massive corporations, suggests the beginning of a new era of business connectivity.

“This partnership with Three Ireland delivers a true enterprise-grade managed 5G broadband service specifically designed for businesses," says Ross Hockey, Senior Director EMEA Service Provider Sales.

"By combining Ericsson’s advanced wireless solutions with Three’s customer-centric approach, we are enabling connectivity that will unlock new levels of agility, security and scalability.

"This innovative platform not only addresses the evolving technology needs of today’s businesses but also paves the way for future digital transformation and growth.”

For Irish businesses wondering whether they need this kind of technology, the question might soon become whether they can afford not to have it.