Druid’s Raemis platform bridges public network gaps for enterprises while enabling seamless private 4G/5G connectivity
Large enterprise venues—think corporate campuses, hotel and convention complexes, and healthcare facilities—have two primary problems related to cellular connectivity, one longstanding, the other more nascent. The longstanding issue is that these types of environments need multi-carrier cellular coverage for both employees and visitors. The more nascent issue is that private cellular connectivity is a key piece of digitalization, but more complex than what enterprise IT is accustomed to.
So, what if the issue of public cellular network coverage and private cellular network availability could be solved in a holistic manner? That’s the approach Druid Software, which specializes in core network software for private 4G and 5G, is taking with its Raemis™ platform. Raemis™ is a set of software assets that provides the standalone multi-operator core network solution (MOCN GW) needed to integrate with public mobile network operators using standardized interfaces, while also providing a 4G/5G core network supporting a range of private cellular-enabled use cases like internet of things or mobile edge computing.
RCR Wireless News caught up with Druid’s Andy Greig, President of North America, during the recent Mobile World Congress Las Vegas to get an update on the outlook for private 4G and 5G, and what Druid is doing to support the growing market.
Addressing the current challenges in campus connectivity, Greig said these venues “struggle with providing coverage to their employees and their visitors.” He explained that “our MOCN Gateway solution actually works in concert with the larger carriers, extending their network coverage into areas that cannot cost effectively be supported by existing Distributed Antenna Solutions (DAS).”
And, he said, because Druid’s approach to neutral host for public network extension can also support private cellular for internal-facing process enablement around things like access control, safety and security, “People are ready to fund those projects…The neutral host deployments have really been a forcing function to bring private cellular networks into being.”
Catering to the U.S. market needs, Druid is working with a portfolio of neutral host service providers to deliver coverage expansion for the major network operators, while also enabling enterprises to make use of shared access to CBRS spectrum for private 4G/5G deployments. Druid’s Raemis™ multi-operator core network (MOCN) integrates with public carrier networks using the 3GPP-compliant S1 link while also supporting a private network on the same infrastructure.
Reflecting on the broader private 4G/5G market, Greig said we are seeing many large companies move from proofs of concept to production deployments as the technology stack continues to mature, and ecosystem partnerships, particularly with systems integrators with vertical-specific expertise, all coalesce.
For enterprises, he said, “You need electricity, you need plumbing, but you also now need cellular coverage. It’s a requirement for businesses to succeed.”
Click here for more information on Druid’s approach to enabling private cellular networks.
