The availability of end-user devices that can operate over private 4G/5G networks is a known critical success factor for the private wireless market to flourish.
In the U.S., the OnGo Alliance has been tracking devices authorized by the FCC to operate in Band 48 since 2018, and now lists over 1,000 devices on their website, about a third of which are 5G-enabled. This authorization indicates that the devices have met the specifications outlined in their datasheets.
Celona has taken this process to the next level. We run our own Device Certification program that performs stringent interoperability tests against the Celona 5G LAN solution across global spectrum bands to help our customers identify the devices best suited for their use cases in their environments.
This provides the assurance that devices have passed rigorous real-world testing and will work as advertised when deployed. When a device passes all the tests, it is designated Celona 5G LAN certified, and tracked on our website.
We’ve been running this program since 2022. For the first few years we certified each and every device ourselves against a robust set of test criteria. Now the private 4G/5G market is undergoing a fundamental shift in growth, accelerating as large global enterprises see the value and expand their deployments.
The advent of AI has also sparked a new push of investment in private 5G as companies recognize the need for massive edge computing and robust wireless connectivity to drive AI-powered industry 4.0 initiatives.
Our vision has always been to scale our device certification program globally, and to build a resilient program that can ramp up to quickly certify the growing list of new end-user devices coming onto the market as new use cases and applications are being deployed.
Today we announced one such partner –Truminds – and we are in final discussions with several other large worldwide partners to meet the demand.
As shown in the latest report from SNS Telecom, 2025 is the year that 5G will overtake 4G in the private wireless market, growing exponentially through 2030. This shift will also be reflected in the end-user devices coming onto the market, underscoring the need for device testing and certification. This is how the industry as a whole will move forward with confidence. At Celona, we are doing our part by investing in the expansion of our global device certification program.
