Johannesburg, 12 Apr 2023
Leading last mile access provider Comsol is building out its advanced 5G private network offering with the introduction of new handsets designed to integrate seamlessly into 5G private networks.
Comsol Chief Technical Officer Mauritz Lewies says the new handsets, configured for Comsol by leading OEM Atel, are based on hardware used by major international operators. The handsets are the latest addition to a growing portfolio of devices Comsol has tested on its 5G private network as it increases the number of devices, applications and use cases in this space.
In trials this week, Comsol achieved almost 500Mbps downlink and 60Mbps uplink speeds, supporting high-quality video calling.
Lewies explains that in 5G private network ecosystems, it can be challenging to get handsets and other devices to connect to the network using the private network codes. “Because private 5G isn’t designed to commercial scale yet, most handsets aren’t capable of connecting to the new networks. Some consumer smart devices support it, but not natively,” he says.
Lewies says the new devices for Comsol 5G private networks are more than just cellphones: “They run the whole Android stack. So for mines or facilities needing secure, smart devices for users to connect for barcode scanning, push to talk, Webex or Teams, we are driving to have one device to do all of that with a common connectivity platform.”
Comsol has predicted that enterprises will start deploying 5G private networks in earnest this year, as technologies mature and OEMs and system integrators come to market with more granular solutions that address enterprise needs across multiple sectors. The company has noted that getting true value from 5G private networks depends on more than the foundational 5G technology.
Lewies says Comsol is now developing a rich ecosystem of systems and software, use cases and devices to work on top of its 5G private networks.
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