Enterprises are hungry. Appetites for digital transformation are reaching a new intensity, brought on in part by excitement around paradigm-shifting tools like generative AI. This enthusiasm is inspiring enterprises to be bolder with their technology roadmaps and strategies in general, lest they miss out on the opportunity to innovate, improve offerings to customers and drive new revenue.
The current enthusiasm might seem sudden, but it’s converging with a run-up that’s been in motion for years. As head of 5G Acceleration – the Verizon Business division in charge of market development for private 5G, edge compute and the associated tech ecosystem – I’ve been completely immersed in it. Here’s how I see it the market for dedicated wireless networks advancing in the next 12 months.
State of play
In 2023, my team and I spent a significant amount of time on market seeding and education around what private 5G and its ecosystem can do to improve customer operations. In 2024, those conversations heated up, and we saw our funnel explode triple digits with new business. Now, as we move into 2025, networks are coming on line and the pipeline continues to grow.
The combination of expanded customer understanding and the previously mentioned hunger for tech-driven transformation has led to richer conversations about IT strategy. We can spend less time talking about the platform and more time discussing the customer’s desired business outcomes. These are promising, growth-minded conversations that encompass applications, devices, and the full technology ecosystem that powers modern enterprise.
This is the fun stuff – which brings me to my core 2025 prediction.
Momentum drivers
2025 is the year that private wireless moves from the margins of the industry to the mainstream, alongside mobility, fixed-wireless, cloud and broadband. But private wireless itself is just the tip of the spear. The neutral-host network product we introduced this year quickly became one of the most significant momentum drivers we’ve seen in the wireless infrastructure space so far.
The timing was perfect: neutral-host architecture was emerging as a convenient, cost- and space-efficient alternative to DAS, and because it uses lots of the same componentry as private wireless networks, it presents a simple but powerful value proposition when paired with private 5G as a combined solution. The two go together perfectly both in terms of technological compatibility and the unique customer needs each can cover.
The neutral host network covers employees, retail shoppers, and visitors with macro-network connectivity, while the private network handles connectivity for industrial or mission-critical operations requiring heightened security, high bandwidth, and low latency. This framework will continue to gain momentum in the marketplace, and, increasingly, customers will want to layer on more use cases.
Enterprise flexibility
One of the most significant trends among enterprises is the shift in focus from cost efficiencies to innovation and revenue growth. The combination of private and neutral host networks plays into this perfectly because customers can develop unique workflows for general connectivity (neutral host) and advanced, mission-critical use cases (private wireless). One side need not cannibalize the other when it comes to operational planning, which helps straighten the path toward testing or operationalizing new applications.
Business-as-usual connectivity and high-tech bets don’t interfere with each other. In fact, they don’t even need to share a timeline, let alone a wireless core. A customer can start with neutral-host connectivity via the macro network and still install a dormant private core, lighting up that private core when they’re ready. This cares for near-term efficiencies and foundational connectivity needs via neutral host without rushing more complicated, data-intensive workloads that belong on a private network.
Increasingly we’re hearing from customers who want to start with macro connectivity, build pathways to engage cloud-based solutions, and then engage that private core for edge-based capabilities and co-innovation over a longer period of time, layering on new devices and applications organically. The neutral-host plus private-wireless combination facilitates this approach. The flexibility is unprecedented, the platform is powerful, and the value proposition is highly attractive as part of a digital transformation strategy for 2025.
Service provision
Another key trend is the growing demand for streamlined, turnkey solutions without compromising on the above-mentioned capability and flexibility. Enterprises are increasingly looking for partners who can provide comprehensive solutions that encompass everything from core network engineering to in-building wiring and powering. This shift is driven by the recognition that a fragmented approach to deployment often leads to delays, inefficiencies, and suboptimal outcomes.
As a result, service providers who can offer a more integrated and holistic approach will be well-positioned to capture market share. That desire for turnkey solutioning is also fueled by the expanding richness of the technological ecosystem. While new technologies, devices and applications are exciting, integrating them can come with a steep learning curve. Customers need partners who can help them navigate this complexity, remove friction points, and deliver solutions that are tailored to their needs and desired outcomes.
That means the role of service providers must continue to evolve. We are becoming trusted advisors and strategic partners in addition to providers. We need to be able to work closely with our customers to understand their unique challenges and opportunities, and then provide infrastructure that can help them realize specific outcomes. That includes working with device manufacturers to optimize their hardware for Industry 4.0 use cases and developing IoT platforms and capabilities to help integrate those devices into customer networks.
It’s a process that requires a deep understanding of technology, the customer’s industry, and their operational models, all while moving quickly and adapting to changing market conditions.
Final thoughts
Taking private wireless mainstream is a matter of balancing customers’ elevated tech ambitions with platform flexibility and ease-of-use. As enterprises become more comfortable with and knowledgeable about cutting-edge wireless infrastructure, the natural next step is to layer on exciting new devices and applications. That means service providers must be ready to develop and integrate new ecosystem components, accommodate scale, and remove complexity from deployment and management.
I predict we’ll see a heightened emphasis on APIs, self-service, and other tools that empower IT teams to do more with their innovation platforms and essential infrastructure, with less effort. Customers can focus on business outcomes and worry less about whether their infrastructure can accommodate their plans. The next 12 months will constitute a tremendous opportunity for those who are prepared to embrace change.
Customers and service providers who work together to calibrate networks for capability, flexibility, and seamless integration will be best positioned to succeed.
