Private 5G: Top Customer Verticals and Why Wideband Antennas are Key for Serving Them
What do education, energy, manufacturing, utilities, defense, seaports, and cities have in common? They’re among the biggest users of private cellular networks, according to research from the GSA and Verizon.
Source – GSA Research: Private Mobile Networks February 2026 Report
For device OEMs and systems integrators that specialize in those verticals, one major trend is the evolution from 4G to 5G. At the end of 2025, most private networks used LTE, either exclusively or in conjunction with 5G. That’s not surprising. LTE has been around longer, so it’s had more time to build market share and ride down the cost curve, which is particularly important for price-sensitive applications such as IoT.
But also not surprisingly, private 5G deployments are growing rapidly. Over 18% are part of hybrid deployments, such as upgrades to or extensions of private LTE networks, according to the GSA. Over 29% are exclusively 5G, mainly because they’re greenfield networks.
Achieving Flexibility and Future Proofing
Spectrum is an important consideration when developing private cellular solutions. For example, private LTE and 5G networks can use many of the same bands, such as the 3.5 GHz Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) spectrum and 900 MHz, which is known as Band 106 when it’s used for LTE and n106 for 5G. In other cases, private networks use spectrum that’s exclusive to 5G.
The more bands that an antenna covers, the more flexibility it provides for everyone involved: device OEMs, systems integrators, and customers. For example, the Taoglas TGX.45.A is a cross-polarized omnidirectional dipole antenna that covers 400 MHz to 6 GHz, which is every LTE band and every 5G allocation up to the mid-band spectrum range.
A wideband antenna makes it easier for device OEMs and systems integrators to develop single-SKU solutions for all three types of private networks: LTE-only, LTE-5G, and 5G-only. A wideband antenna also can provide those solutions with a competitive advantage because customers know they can continue to use them as their business requirements evolve. One example is a customer with a private LTE network that wants to continue to use the same devices as it augments or replaces 4G with 5G.
Another example is a customer that wants to use a private virtual slice of a public network. This is an attractive option for organizations that want the cybersecurity, performance, and other benefits of a private network but without the cost of building and operating all of that infrastructure. (For more insights into the virtual slice option, see “Private Cellular: A Crash Course into Deciding Why, How, Where, and Which Technology.”)
A wideband antenna such as the Taoglas TGX.45.A gives those customers the flexibility to choose from public operators rather than just ones with license for certain band. That flexibility also provides future proofing because later on they can switch operators to get better coverage, a lower tariff, or an SLA.
Get in touch for orders or any queries: sales@rfdesign.co.za / +27 21 555 8400
Courtesy of Taoglas
