Amazon Web Services (AWS) first unveiled its private 5G services back in November last year, announcing that they were developing a private mobile network offering that would allow enterprises to deploy, operate, and scale up their own mobile networks “in a matter of days”.
Now, nine months later, the AWS Private 5G service has officially been launched…
Amazon Web Services (AWS) first unveiled its private 5G services back in November last year, announcing that they were developing a private mobile network offering that would allow enterprises to deploy, operate, and scale up their own mobile networks “in a matter of days”.
Now, nine months later, the AWS Private 5G service has officially been launched, with the cloud-specialist suggesting that the service would be both cheaper and simpler to deploy than comparable gear from a traditional mobile operator.
AWS says that enterprise customers renting the service from AWS can specify their unique network requirements during the purchasing process, with AWS then sending them the required hardware and SIM cards for self-service installation at the location, as well as providing assorted software. The private network will integrate directly with AWS’s various security and observation resources, such as AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM).
“This cool new service lets you design and deploy your own private mobile network in a matter of days. It is easy to install, operate, and scale, and does not require any specialized expertise. You can use the network to communicate with the sensors & actuators in your smart factory, or to provide better connectivity for handheld devices, scanners, and tablets for process automation,” explained AWS Chief Evangelist Jeff Barr in a company blog post.
The service will provide a consistent throughput to multiple devices, as well as the ultra-low latency required for real-time automation.
“Each network supports one radio unit that can provide up to 150 Mbps of throughput spread across up to 100 SIMs. We are working to add support for multiple radio units and greater number of SIM cards per network,” explained Barr.
The service is set to be sold to customers by the radio unit, with each unit charged at $10 per hour, with a minimum contract length of 60 days. This means that operating a single radio unit for 10-hours a day for 255 days (a standard working year) would cost $25,500.
For now, the AWS Private 5G service confusingly only supports 4G LTE services, with 5G capabilities expected to be delivered at an unspecified future date.
The service is currently only available three US regions so far – US East (Ohio), US East (North Virginia), and US West (Oregon) – but a wider rollout in the US and internationally is being planned.
Will the launch of AWS Private 5G reshape the enterprise market space for telcos? Join the operators in discussions at the upcoming Connected America conference
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