AWS Private 5G, the latest offering from Amazon, is a private network that doesn’t quite live up to its moniker as it currently can provide only 4G LTE service. However, as Tech Crunch reports, Amazon anticipates a 5G connection “in the near future.” It also intends to expand availability beyond its introductory test markets in Ohio, Virginia and Oregon.
“It supports 4G LTE today,” commented AWS spokesperson, Jeff Barr, “And will support 5G in the future, both of which give you a consistent, predictable level of throughput with ultra low latency.”
The main thing that a private network would provide, according to Barr, is a level of control not possible when hooking into a local network. A dedicated delivery system, he said, would be a boon to highly automated facilities that could claim all available bandwidth and digital traffic would be limited to what the private network allows and should lead to predictable, manageable results.
Participation in AWS Private 5G starts with the purchase of a radio unit and SIM cards. Both hardware and software connect to the AWS Management Console, the center hub and first building block of the customized local network. The pieces are designed to work with each other, and to seamlessly interact with other Amazon-supported systems, like Cloudwatch, according to Tech Crunch.
Companies looking to incorporate AWS 5G can expect to pay $10 per hour for each radio unit it installs. The participant will also be billed for all data that transfers outwards to connect to the internet. Amazon’s usual EC2 (Elastic Compute Cloud) rates will apply.
AWS Private 5G uses CBRS, accessing a shared 3.5 GHz wireless spectrum. The FCC has designated key Spectrum Access System (SAS) administrators who are authorized to manage wireless communications in the CBRS band, Inside Towers reported. The limited gateway access is designed to protect the security of transmission for “high priority” users like the DoD. Oversight by both the AWS system and the SAS then frees up the participating company to figure out how best to employ its private network within its own walls.
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