Private 5G is becoming less about 5G and more about replacing or augmenting fixed infrastructure for specific operational jobs. Global numbers from GSA last week say the market is growing steadily, while new Samsung (financial services, South Korea) and Boldyn (airport, USA) deployments show two different versions of the same thing: secure, dedicated wireless where ordinary Wi-Fi or public cellular isn’t enough. The industry doesn’t need to find a killer application for private 5G. It just needs to keep finding expensive, annoying things that existing networks don’t handle very well. A more credible pitch, perhaps, than all the 5G-will-change-your-life-stuff. Anyway, as we look forward to Industrial Wireless Forum in a few weeks, here are some thoughts…

1. The market is real – and has momentum

GSA counts 2,031 organisations in 88 countries deploying private mobile networks worth more than €100,000 as of 2Q26, with customer references growing at a 37% CAGR since 2019. Another 180 references fall into the €50,000-€100,000 value category. Plus, these are per-country customer references, and not sites or users (both significantly higher). The number of references doesn’t represent the scale of deployments. Also, the total only counts submissions from GSA member companies. One vendor didn’t contribute to this edition and another only partially contributed; GSA estimates those omissions could represent 20-30% of quarterly references. But it is still the best measure in town; 77% of references are non-public and unique, so the public database is necessarily incomplete. All of which seems like pretty solid evidence that private 4G/5G isn’t just an endless collection of trials.

2. Industrial diversity – and business clarity

Manufacturing remains the biggest sector, followed by education/academic research and mining. GSA also saw eight new seaport references in the quarter, and three in hospitality. Boldyn’s deployment at Ontario airport (California) is another – in a sector that has been steadily adding references besides. The airport isn’t buying private wireless because it needs 5G – per se. It is buying a controlled comms and sensing platform across a 1,700-acre site, initially for physical security and perimeter intrusion detection, with camera coverage to follow. The network combines 4G/5G, on-prem edge compute, and private cloud management. So the network is a ready infrastructure for an operational problem, rather than just a product by itself. Of course, and about blooming time.

3. Enterprise connectivity – and security

Both of the new deployments are about getting rid of wires. Per Hanna – why run a wired office (16 floors, 3,000 staff) when the network can move with the employee? Flexible desks and meeting spaces are easier to configure without repeatedly rewiring the building. Per Ontario airport – why rely on public connectivity across a huge, complicated operational environment when security systems, cameras, and other devices can all sit on a dedicated network? Different environments, same logic: private cellular is a useful alternative to Ethernet, Wi-Fi, and public mobile. It is also secure. Samsung and SKT are pushing dedicated spectrum, network separation, encryption, firewall/DDoS protection, USIM authentication, and network slicing, centralized monitoring. So there’s an easy proposition here: private 5G gives enterprises wireless flex without surrendering security and control.

5. Spectrum matters – and what’s next?

GSA finds a strong correlation between deployments and countries with dedicated or shared spectrum. This is old hat; we know this. The US, Germany, UK, China, and Japan have the largest number of references. But it underlines that regulation and spectrum, as always, shape the market. Meanwhile, both of the new deployments are being sold as platforms for future applications. Hana talks about AI, smart-building systems, intelligent CCTV, mobile employee badges, and AI work services. Ontario airport talks about expanding from physical security into camera coverage and future innovation, with edge compute and low latency built into the network from the outset. But the initial use cases are mundane: connectivity, security, cameras, workplace mobility. Which is better for business, as it stands – solving real operational headaches, rather than pitching industrial AI futures, even though those matter too.