Private 5G Pilots Move From Warehouses to Corporate Campuses
After proving itself in warehouses and factories, private 5G is being tested on corporate campuses — with a different business case.
Private 5G networks first proved themselves in warehouses, ports and factories — large, busy spaces where Wi-Fi struggled with interference, mobility and coverage. Now a second wave of pilots is moving onto corporate campuses, where the use cases are different and the business case is still being written.
What moved the technology indoors
Several changes have made private 5G more practical for office environments. Spectrum has become more accessible in many markets, equipment has become smaller and cheaper, and managed service options mean enterprises no longer need deep cellular expertise in-house.
“Three years ago private 5G meant a telecom project. Now it can be a managed service with a monthly fee.”
Where campuses are testing it
- Reliable coverage across large sites, car parks and outdoor areas
- Secure connectivity for building systems, cameras and sensors
- Seamless handover for staff moving between buildings
- Dedicated capacity for critical applications during peak demand
Wi-Fi is not going away
Almost every pilot runs alongside Wi-Fi rather than replacing it. Wi-Fi remains cheaper and well understood for laptops and general office traffic. Private 5G is being evaluated for specific gaps where predictable performance and mobility matter more than cost.
The open question is ROI
Warehouse deployments could point to clear operational gains. Campus pilots are harder to justify on productivity alone, so many are framed around security, resilience and support for future building automation.
For network teams, the lesson is to start with a precise problem. Private 5G is most convincing where it solves something Wi-Fi demonstrably cannot.