Devices
- Which devices must work on day one, and are their SIMs provisioned in advance?
- Which devices are rented or borrowed, and how are SIMs recovered afterward?
Events, construction, and emergency response
Temporary and event networks
Stand up a network quickly for events, construction phases, or incident response—then take it down again.
TrafficTwo-way traffic
MobilityMoved occasionally
EnvironmentOutdoor
- Device traffic
- Link to the core
- Backhaul
Why teams look at private cellular here
Some networks only need to exist for days or months: a festival, a construction phase, an incident response. Speed of setup, portable power, and backhaul matter more than long-term optimization, and the network has to be ready before people arrive.
- Point-of-sale terminals
- Broadcast and production equipment
- Portable cameras and sensors
- Staff phones, radios, and tablets
What usually drives the design
Rapid deployment
Setup time, portability, and pre-provisioning matter more than long-term tuning.
Power and backhaul
Every radio needs power and a path back to the core at its location.
Device support
Bands, SIM or eSIM support, and certifications decide which devices can join.
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
- When is peak demand—gates opening, a broadcast, a shift change?
- Which applications are critical, such as payments or safety communications?
Site
- Where will portable radios, power, and backhaul be placed?
- How does the layout change during setup and teardown?
Operations
- Who is on site to support the network while it is live?
- What spectrum authorization is needed, and how far in advance?
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 product
Router · LTEEricsson Enterprise Wireless Solutions (Cradlepoint)Ericsson Cradlepoint R920Sold by Waveform
Complete network · LTE + 5GWaveformPrivate 5G + Push-to-Talk Network-in-a-BoxWaveform product
Router · LTE + 5GEricsson Enterprise Wireless Solutions (Cradlepoint)Cradlepoint E300Sold by Waveform
Device · 5GZebra TechnologiesZebra TC27Sold by WaveformWaveform, which sells some of these products, is operated by the team behind Private5G.com.
Common planning gaps
- Testing the network before crowds and structures are in place.
- Relying on a single backhaul link.
- Leaving SIM provisioning until devices arrive on site.
Reported deployments
- Reported temporary private LTE network for festival paymentsVendor-reported deployment · reviewed Sep 30, 2026
- Reported private LTE pilot on EBS 2.5 GHz spectrum for university parking payments (Texas A&M)Vendor-reported deployment · reviewed Sep 30, 2026
- Reported portable private 5G network for the PGA of America at the 2024 PGA Championship in Louisville, KentuckyVendor-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