Westward Sales Blog

According to one recent study, roughly 97% of businesses are expected to use the Internet in some capacity by the end of 2025. Over the years, technology has been a core part of their operations. It’s how organizations maintain peak productivity and build essential relationships with clients. At this point, it’s as important as electrical service and other utilities.

Another study stated there are about 5.7 billion cellular data users worldwide, roughly 70.5% of the global population. Most of those people access the Internet through smartphones like the iPhone or an Android device.

Personal users are likely familiar with some of the “downsides” of such connectivity – from unexpected, dropped calls to missed connections. They’d be forgiven for assuming such challenges would carry over into a professional setting. Thankfully, 5G cellular routers have come a long way, and businesses should consider whether now is the time to finally embrace them for a wide range of different reasons, all of which are worth exploring.

Is a 5G Cellular Router Right for Businesses?

• A 5G cellular router offers flexibility and mobility impossible with wired networking. Use cases like moving offices, quickly setting up pop-up shops, or even responding to fires and other natural disasters could leave a business without Internet connectivity for days. A 5G cellular router is easy to set up and deploy almost immediately. It makes connectivity to remote areas more manageable, too.
• A 5G cellular router is significantly faster to deploy than its counterparts from even as recently as five years ago. A fiber optic connection for a business is faster, but the speed gap is narrowing, and depending on the area, customers can get comparable speeds with wireless versus wired networking.
• A 5G wireless connection is preferred for many business applications over their wired counterparts. Cell towers are strategically located to guarantee broad coverage and are less susceptible to physical damage from events caused by construction and weather events. All these potentially still pose issues for wired connections and the venerable cables that come with them.

Comparing and Contrasting Wired vs. Wireless Networking

For business users, the significant difference between wired and wireless networking, which will be felt almost immediately, is one of deployment. Complex enterprise networks will always require a certain degree of planning and setup for their wired and wireless segments.  

Installation

Installing a wired network requires several steps, such as planning, layout, trenching (if outdoors), and routing the cables from one point to another. This process can take anywhere from 30 to 90 days, making it another logistical challenge to account for when completing a task like moving offices from one location to another.

However, with a 5G cellular router, this is significantly different. Users can plug a router into the nearest power source and gain network access in minutes. Some steps are required, such as installing a SIM card and enabling a data plan to ensure that things are secure and functioning as they should be. But the time to get operations up and running is greatly diminished.

Security and Reliability

Security is also a concern in business use cases, which is why it’s important to note that 5G routers of this caliber use the latest technologies for user authentication, encryption, and detection. The same is true of wired networks – it’s just that the gap has been significantly closed to that degree over the years.

The other notable differences are dependability and reliability. Although this wasn’t always the case, cellular WAN (Wide Area Network) connections often offer superior dependability compared to their wired counterparts. Again, nearby construction in an area might damage a wired network or even take it offline indefinitely. Cellular towers, by design, are not susceptible to the same types of risks.

Modern Myths About Cellular Networks

One of the biggest perceived challenges cellular networks represent for business use cases is performance. Many assume wireless networks are naturally slower and less stable than their wired counterparts. While this was the case at a certain point, it’s no longer as true.

Performance

5G cellular router options have significantly boosted speeds and reduced latency, making wireless networking a viable option—even for the most bandwidth-intensive applications. In many situations, bonding and multiple cellular modem technology can deliver speeds that meet or exceed those of traditional broadband connections.

Affordability

Another central point against wireless networking in the past has been cost. Cellular data plans were once a concern to many people as they were inherently limited. If someone exceeded a certain amount of bandwidth in a month, as a business user, it almost certainly would quickly become cost-prohibitive.

That is no longer the case. Unlimited data plans have changed things dramatically, and when you consider that there is no need to install expensive wired infrastructure, the economics make a lot more sense than many realize.

Network Management

Finally, many assume that wireless networks are inherently complicated to manage. This is based on the (also) false assumption that setting up a wired network is as simple as plugging in an Ethernet cable.

Modern cloud-based management platforms have made it easy for even casual users to manage their networks from virtually anywhere effectively. Not only do users get effortless centralized control, but it also makes it easy for businesses to deploy, monitor, and troubleshoot their 5G cellular router equipment, eliminating the need for expensive IT expertise. Ericsson’s NetCloud and Semtech’s Airlink are examples of cloud-based management platforms that can manage a fleet of 5G cellular routers.

Is a 5G Cellular Router Right for Your Business?

When deciding which type of connection to leverage for a business, it’s essential to acknowledge that there is no “one size fits all” solution.

Wired vs. Wireless Speed

If speed is paramount and eclipses virtually any other quality, wired networks with fiber optic connections are still the way to go. While wireless networking speeds have certainly made a lot of progress in recent years, as of today, wired networks are still the clear victor in that regard.

If speeds alone are not the only factor, many other drawbacks associated with wired networking must be considered. Wired networks are known for their lengthy deployment times. They have limited flexibility, which may make it difficult for people to redesign or move offices. They are potentially vulnerable to physical damage in a way that wireless networks are not.

Cost Considerations

If a user is in a scenario where rapid deployment is necessary and cost-effectiveness moving forward is a top priority, a 5G cellular router would undoubtedly be the way to go. So long as the network is properly configured and managed, there will be little to worry about regarding security and reliability.

But as always, users must answer this question for themselves. Start by making a list of all the things you need a wireless network to be able to do. Then, compare and contrast what wired vs wireless networking offers to see which checks the most boxes. So long as you understand your requirements before moving forward with the project, the decision will become apparent fairly quickly.

Need a 5G Cellular Router? Look no Further

If you’d like more information about the significant differences between wired and wireless connections in the context of 5G cellular routers or if you’d like to discuss your organization’s 5G cellular router needs with a team of professionals in more detail, please contact us today.