How Private 5G Networks Work
The architecture, the components, the choices that matter — in plain English.
A private 5G network looks more complicated than it is. Strip away the acronyms and you have four parts: a radio that broadcasts the signal, a core that runs the network, some spectrum for the radio to use, and devices with SIMs that connect. That's it.
This page walks through each component, the architecture choices behind a typical UK deployment, and the questions worth asking before you commission one.
The four building blocks
Every private 5G network — whether it covers a single warehouse or a 200-acre site — uses the same four pieces.
5G Radio (gNodeB)
The base station that transmits and receives the wireless signal. Can be a small indoor unit the size of a smoke alarm, or an outdoor mast-mounted radio for wider coverage.
5G Core
The software that authenticates devices, manages sessions, applies policy, and routes traffic. Can run on a small on-premise server or in the cloud — Aerix supports both.
Spectrum
The radio frequencies the network uses. In the UK, Ofcom Shared Access spectrum (typically 3.8–4.2 GHz) is the standard band for private 5G. The licence is part of the service.
Devices & SIMs
Routers (CPE), modems, smartphones, sensors and IoT devices with a SIM provisioned for the private network. Devices can be customer-owned or supplied by Aerix.
A worked example
Take a 50-hectare holiday park as a typical Aerix deployment.
We mount one or two outdoor 5G radios on existing site structures — a barn, a poletop, the side of a clubhouse. Each radio covers a few hundred metres of open ground and feeds traffic over a backhaul link (fibre where available, microwave or satellite where it isn't) to our cloud-hosted 5G core.
Each pitch or building gets a small indoor or outdoor router. The router has a SIM that's authenticated by our core; once authenticated, devices on the local Wi-Fi behind the router get a fast, dedicated connection to the internet.
From the customer's perspective it looks like a normal broadband router. From the network's perspective every connection is on a private cellular network we own and operate end-to-end.
Common questions
What are the main components of a private 5G network?
Four building blocks: a 5G radio (the cell site that broadcasts signal), a 5G core (the brain that authenticates devices and routes traffic), spectrum (the radio frequencies the network uses — typically Ofcom shared access spectrum in the UK), and end-user devices or routers (CPE) that connect via SIM.
What is a 5G core network?
The 5G core is the software that handles authentication, mobility, billing, security, and routing of user traffic. In a private deployment it can run on-premise (a small server in a comms cabinet) or in the cloud. Aerix typically uses a cloud-hosted core for smaller sites and on-premise cores for industrial or air-gapped deployments.
What spectrum do private 5G networks use in the UK?
Ofcom's Shared Access Licence framework provides spectrum in three bands suitable for private networks: 1800 MHz (paired), 2300 MHz, and 3.8–4.2 GHz. The 3.8–4.2 GHz band is the most common for new private 5G deployments because it offers high capacity and is widely supported by 5G equipment. Aerix arranges the licence as part of the service.
Standalone (SA) vs Non-Standalone (NSA) 5G — which do private networks use?
Modern private 5G deployments are almost always Standalone (5G SA), meaning both the radio and the core are pure 5G. Non-Standalone (NSA) 5G is a transition technology used by public operators that bolts a 5G radio onto an existing 4G core — useful for mobile operators reusing infrastructure, less relevant for fresh private builds.
Do private 5G networks support roaming?
They can. A neutral host private network can roam users from public mobile operators back to their home networks. A dedicated private network typically doesn't roam — devices either work on the private network (with a private SIM) or on public mobile (with a public SIM), depending on which SIM is provisioned.
Is private 5G more secure than Wi-Fi?
Generally yes. Cellular networks use SIM-based authentication (every device is cryptographically tied to a known SIM), encrypt traffic on the radio interface by default, and isolate user traffic on the core network. Wi-Fi can be made secure but the default posture of cellular is stronger.
Want to see one in action?
We can walk you through a live deployment — Llanthony Valley, a holiday park, or one of our city centre rollouts — and answer the architecture questions specific to your site.