5G Private Networks for Rural Communities: Use Cases and Field Trials

Providing high-speed and reliable wireless connectivity can be challenging in rural areas. 5 G private networks can be utilized to provide wireless connectivity in these areas to enhance business-critical applications for different types of industries, small-medium enterprises, agriculture, government entities, etc. This paper presents results of the Horizon Europe COMMECT project regarding 5G private network deployments in rural areas. Specifically, use cases that can be enabled in rural and remote areas by deploying 5 G private networks are presented, and typical challenges of 5G private network deployments are addressed. Moreover, two selected use cases, namely, a forestry industry use case and a livestock transportation use case, are detailed with a focus on connectivity requirements, possible network deployment strategies, and initial insights from their respective field trials. This paper provides one of the first contributions related to the deployment of 5 G private networks in rural areas.