5G and the campus 
 network of the future

Around the world, the pace of digitalisation is accelerating. Driven partly by an unexpected and ongoing pandemic that McKinsey says have hastened digital transformation by as many as seven years^[1] it is further buoyed by pervasive connectivity and a mainstream acceptance of cloud computing.

At work and at home, users are taking to online services, digital media platforms, and digital collaboration. The result is a massive surge in network usage, with users growing less tolerant of slowdowns and lags in their online experience.

From enterprise offices, the public sector, to the highly regulated financial sector, workers now need connectivity more than ever. Elsewhere, even emergency services are leveraging connected systems such as aerial drones and video surveillance to gain critical life-saving intelligence as they race to locations.

Yet the new decentralised workplace of the future makes secure, seamless connectivity a particularly daunting notion. While workers today are expected to perform their work regardless of physical location, whether at home, on the move, or across one of several official locations, the multiple requirements of privacy, coverage, and performance are complex and difficult to meet with existing networks.

For instance, limited spectrum allocation means that the creation of private networks based on mobile networks such as 4G are only financially feasible for the largest organisations. Existing Wi-Fi deployments have their advantages, but, being unregulated, are prone to external interference. Further, inherent design limitations make it a poor candidate when users or devices are in motion.

On its part, 5G looks set to revolutionise connectivity and the way we work. Designed for the future of communication, 5G enables as much as 100 times more bandwidth for advanced workloads, offering highly reliable, ultra-low-latency communication that will work nearly anywhere. Moreover, 5G network slicing will allow for dynamic spectrum allocation, delivering more flexibility than ever to significantly lower the barrier of entry for advanced use cases.

Instead of paying for a rigid slice of spectrum, enterprises can instead opt for network access based on a minimum level of performance or specific consumption that has been specially optimized for each application. This offers substantially greater cost-effectiveness, unlike with earlier iterations of mobile private networks where enterprises must foot the bill for infrastructure including radios, core systems, and ongoing maintenance. With a considerably lower cost structure, even SMEs can potentially leverage the benefits of private mobile access.

Private mobile access is a boon for organisations where privacy or security is paramount, such as financial institutions and government agencies. With just a preregistered mobile device, traffic can be routed directly to the organisation’s data centre for protected access to mission-critical systems regardless of where employees are.

Always-on, always mobile access is highly feasible today, given how much mobile data cost has fallen over the last few years. Indeed, the cost of deploying and running 5G base stations is equivalent to the full cost of running an enterprise Wi-Fi infrastructure when the latter’s ongoing operational cost and the greater number of access points (AP), site broadband bandwidth and cyber security requirements are taken into consideration.

Locations with a tight restriction on Internet usage such as certain government agencies can also better secure devices both indoors and outdoors. IT departments now have a greater ability to secure their network environment than before. Even employees gain, benefiting from a superior experience with complete flexibility over where and when they work.

Taken together, the versatility, performance, and cost-effective support for high-density deployments will allow 5G to potentially replace cumbersome Wi-Fi networks in some environments. Always-on mobile connectivity means that devices don’t have to switch to mobile networks as employees exit a building, enabling seamless network access across meeting rooms, buildings, or even on public transport on a large campus.

The future of 5G is fast drawing near, as Singapore forges ahead with its nationwide 5G rollout^[1]. StarHub already deployed 5G to 70% of the country’s populated area by September 2020 As coverage expands, 5G can deliver a holistic working environment to help businesses increase productivity.

In addition, network slicing will allow employees to log in where they want without complicated VPN settings or restricted systems access when working away from the office. Some additional scenarios include:

• Government agencies that restrict internet access can give out mobile work devices that are tied to a secured network, eliminating confusion between secured and non-secured network usage. In addition, security of sensitive data can be maintained, regardless of where the device is being used – be it in the office or at an employee’s home. The secure access can also be restricted to specified areas of government buildings or campus areas – providing greater security and employee flexibility while still limiting access outside of secure areas.

• In hospitals bandwidth can be prioritized for key service supporting patients, like monitors, to ensure that visitors data consumption does not threaten mission critical services

• FSI firms can tighten security while seamlessly offering relationship managers access vital work systems, even when meeting clients outside offices

StarHub delivers an end-to-end experience with a single touchpoint for businesses looking to experience the power of 5G. Contact us today to discuss how you might deploy 5G to help your business, or for a trial of StarHub 5G.

[1] How COVID-19 has pushed companies over the technology tipping point—and transformed business forever

[2] Singapore Forges Ahead with Nationwide 5G Rollout