Devices
- Which RTUs, meters, and sensors connect, and which need a gateway?
- Which devices must keep working through a power outage?
Utilities, energy, and mining
Remote and utility sites
Connect substations, well pads, pits, and pipelines where cabling and public coverage fall short.
TrafficMostly uplink
MobilityFixed devices
EnvironmentOutdoor
- Device traffic
- Link to the core
- Backhaul
Why teams look at private cellular here
Remote sites are spread out, often off-grid, and far from fiber. Sensors, meters, and cameras report back to a control center, so backhaul, power, and physical access for maintenance usually shape the design before capacity does.
- SCADA and RTU gateways
- Meters and environmental sensors
- Security cameras
- Rugged tablets for field crews
What usually drives the design
Power and backhaul
Every radio needs power and a path back to the core at its location.
Coverage
Where devices actually operate—including changing obstructions—drives radio placement.
Resilience
Decide what happens when a link fails and how quickly service must return.
Questions to settle before selection
Answer these with your team first. They decide which equipment fits and what a vendor or integrator needs to quote accurately.
Traffic
- How often does each device report, and how much data does it send?
- Does any site send continuous video?
Site
- What backhaul reaches each site—fiber, microwave, satellite, or a public carrier?
- Where is power available, and is battery or solar backup needed?
Operations
- How long does it take a crew to reach each site for maintenance?
- Which regulatory or security requirements apply to the network?
Equipment to evaluate
Products whose own documentation names this setting or use, or that the guide links for comparison. Listing is not a recommendation; check each record's sources and unknowns.
Complete network · 5GWaveformPrivate 5G + Camera Network-in-a-BoxWaveform productComplete network · LTE + 5GMavenirMavenir Private NetworksComplete network · 5GSamsung NetworksSamsung private network solution
Router · LTEDigi InternationalDigi IX30 Industrial Cellular Router
Router · LTE + 5GDigi InternationalDigi IX25 5G Industrial Cellular Router
Router · LTE + 5GSemtech (formerly Sierra Wireless)AirLink® XR60Sold by Waveform
Router · LTE + 5GSemtech (formerly Sierra Wireless)AirLink® RX400 5G RedCap Router
Radio · LTEBaicellsBaicells Nova249Sold by Waveform
Router · LTE + 5GHorizonHorizon 25005GSold by Waveform
Router · LTE + 5GSemtech (formerly Sierra Wireless)Semtech XR80 Modular 5G RouterSold by Waveform
Router · LTESemtech (formerly Sierra Wireless)Semtech RX55 LTE-A RouterSold by Waveform
Device · 5GZebra TechnologiesZebra TC58Sold by Waveform
Device · 5GZebra TechnologiesZebra TC78Sold by Waveform
Device · 5GRugGearRugGear RG540Sold by WaveformWaveform, which sells some of these products, is operated by the team behind Private5G.com.
Common planning gaps
- Choosing radios before confirming backhaul at each site.
- Forgetting backup power for the radio as well as the devices.
- Underestimating travel time for maintenance visits.
Reported deployments
- Reported Hurst Greenery farm private LTE pilot in Westboro, MissouriVendor-reported deployment · reviewed Sep 30, 2026
- Reported Evergy utility private LTE network in Kansas and MissouriVendor-reported deployment · reviewed Sep 30, 2026
- Reported Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) private LTE network in TexasVendor-reported deployment · reviewed Sep 30, 2026
- Reported Xcel Energy utility private LTE network across eight U.S. statesVendor-reported deployment · reviewed Sep 30, 2026
Linked records are examples to evaluate against your requirements, not recommendations.
Turn this into a project brief
Enter your device counts and per-device traffic. The brief separates arithmetic from engineering decisions and never estimates radio counts.
About this guide: Private5G.com editorial planning guidance, reviewed Sep 30, 2026. It makes no product, price, or performance claims; linked records carry their own sources.
Learn the basics
- Private 5G networks explained: what they are, how they work, what they cost and who sells themA plain-English guide to private 5G: what it is, the parts you need, CBRS spectrum, ways to deploy, cost drivers and U.S. examples.
- Private 5G and LTE vs Wi-Fi: when each makes sensePrivate LTE and 5G vs Wi-Fi in plain English: which devices work, what you pay for, coverage, moving devices, security and when to use each.
- How much does a private LTE or 5G network cost?What a private LTE or 5G network costs: three example budgets from about $10,000, what you pay for, CBRS and SAS fees, and ongoing costs.
- CBRS devices: which phones, routers, and modules support Band 48 and n48Which iPhones, Pixels, rugged phones, routers and modules support CBRS Band 48 or 5G n48, and how to check the band a phone uses.
- Private 5G and LTE network-in-a-box systemsWhat a private 5G or LTE network in a box includes, when it beats a component build or turnkey project, and what to compare before you buy.
- CBRS routers, gateways, and CPE for private LTE and 5GRouters and gateways for private LTE and 5G: indoor and outdoor routers, vehicle and industrial gateways, and USB modems with Band 48 or n48.
More use-case guides
Video surveillance
Connect fixed and relocatable cameras beyond practical cable runs, and plan around sustained uplink video.
- Traffic
- Uplink
- Devices
- Fixed
- Site
- In + out
Yard automation
Keep yard trucks, tractors, and autonomous vehicles connected as they move across large outdoor sites.
- Traffic
- Two-way
- Devices
- Moving
- Site
- Outdoor
Warehouses
Connect scanners, mobile robots, and vehicle terminals across tall racking, docks, and yards.
- Traffic
- Two-way
- Devices
- Moving
- Site
- Indoor
Manufacturing
Connect machines, sensors, and mobile equipment on the plant floor, and decide how that traffic reaches control systems.
- Traffic
- Two-way
- Devices
- Movable
- Site
- Indoor