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"Revolutionary" is basically a marketing term these days that's applied to everything from new detergents to cut-rate fashion styles. However, "revolutionary" — in the true sense of the word — is the only way to describe the impact 5G is likely to have on society and the changes it will bring to the way we do things in 2022 and beyond.

Key to these changes is the agility and flexibility of open RAN, which is built on open interfaces, enabling widespread development and deployment of customized telecom installations. This will allow the development of ecosystems that will lead to greater competition and, thus, greater efficiency in projects, operational logistics, production lines and much more. The direct beneficiaries of these customized systems will be enterprises, advanced manufacturing facilities, distribution centers and many others. Here are some of the elements that will make this possible:

• Open software. While software-based solutions provide a great leap forward for organizations seeking to develop applications that serve their needs, it's not enough; proprietary software, like proprietary hardware, could limit the ability of organizations to customize their networks. Fortunately, new open RAN 5G standards largely support open software systems that organizations can use to build applications. For example, to run automatically, smart manufacturing plants require zero-latency communications capabilities between assembly lines, quality control staff, robots, IT, managers and supervisors, along with a customized system to integrate all the communication protocols.

• Virtualized RAN. Using 5G's network slicing capabilities, communication service providers (CSPs) will be able to develop and deploy private networks that will enable organizations to get the most out of 5G technology. The open RAN (O-RAN) technology that 5G is based on will enable organizations to virtualize many aspects of their networks, ensuring interoperability and the ability to implement a wide range of software-based services based on network slicing and customer demand.

• Democratizing the network. The resources 5G supplies to enable the widespread deployment of on-premise and private networks will — for the first time in wireless telecom history — give users the power to set and realize their own goals. This democratization will come about as a result of 5G's "IT-ification" of the network, enabling organizations to control their telecom systems as they do their IT systems. A result of that IT-ification will be the growth of "network as a code," a near-complete virtualization of network technology where the power of the network resides in code, not hardware. Organizations will thus be able to use the power of the software and code with less focus on needing to adhere to the rules of the physical infrastructure.

• Smarter networks. This ability to customize connectivity for specific businesses' needs will encourage innovation in mobile communications, as developers will build new applications to help make these enterprises more efficient. This will save time, money and effort — enabling customization in order to meet customer needs instead of trying to make the most out of the monolithic communication services currently available. In addition, artificial intelligence will enhance all this, enabling automated systems to function more effectively as they learn what users need.

However, there are some challenges that come with making this transition:

• Price points. While private 5G is more powerful than Wi-Fi or fixed internet for many enterprise usages, it is much more complex — and building and managing 5G networks requires specially trained personnel who understand radio transmission in depth. Finding these experts may not be easy, and even if companies can find them, their expertise is likely to come at a high price. This translates into an overall TCO that may be prohibitive even for the largest and well-funded enterprises.

• Integration. Private 5G networks need to be well-integrated into the overall communication and business systems of enterprises. Beyond the complexity of building standalone networks is the even greater challenge of integrating them into existing public 5G and even 4G and 3G networks in a secure and seamless way. This, too, will require personnel with a high level of expertise who will be able to leverage their experience in telecom management to accomplish this.

• Value chain. The tech workforce at most enterprise organizations is likely to have a lot of experience in managing its intranet as well as its external connections. Organizations are going to expect their 5G standalone networks to operate in the same way, but communication networks and IT networks require different skills and management capabilities. In order to ensure their personnel acquires these skills, organizations may have to seek out and partner with a local system integrator (SI) that specializes in 5G networks, replacing partners they have been previously working with.

• Increased security issues. More equipment means more opportunities for bad actors. With a bigger attack surface, hackers have a greater ability to find that one weak point they need in order to wreak havoc on a network. According to a Trend Micro report, 32% of operators see the attack surface as a significant threat, while 48% say that they need more knowledge and better tools to protect their systems effectively. Enterprises will need to invest time, effort and money in order to implement the needed security. Here, too, automated security systems that check for anomalies in equipment or network operation could help prevent attacks.

For users and organizations, 5G means choice and more customization. MNOs will also benefit, as they will have the opportunity to expand their services and offer customized systems to enterprise customers — some of them via SIs, who will become an emerging and growing group of customers, providing network services to enterprises.

The growth of 5G will enable organizations and developers to think and act in a business-driven fashion, with the end result being a blooming of creativity as organizations perfect their telecom systems to ensure they are helping them reach their goals as effectively as possible. Now that's revolutionary, and it's what we can expect to see in the coming years.

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