Ericsson Cradlepoint products

The best way to utilize 5G for primary or secondary WAN connectivity is through a cellular router, or mobile router, that has a 5G and/or 4G LTE modem built into the device. Enterprise routers that have hybrid WAN capabilities can support wired and cellular connection links and also provide Wi-Fi for wireless LAN access. These enterprise routers are useful for the flexibility they provide, especially in branch sites such as stores, restaurants, and offices.

In areas where 5G is not yet fully usable, a enterprise router can use 4G LTE with great success, albeit less speed and bandwidth.

The necessity of a 5G router largely depends on your organization’s specific use case. If you already have a primary connection, it is advisable to have a backup, and a cellular connection through a 5G router with a built-in modem can be an excellent secondary option. In areas where the fiber infrastructure is unreliable or weak, cellular connections such as 5G may serve as the primary means of internet access. Alternatively, in very remote or rural locations, if wireline coverage is limited, a cellular link through a 5G router might be the only suitable and cost-efficient choice. Ultimately, the decision should be based on the availability and reliability of different connection types in your area, as well as your specific needs.

When choosing a cellular router, also called a mobile router, several key factors must be considered, based on your specific business needs. First, understanding the type of 5G spectrum is essential. Low-band 5G offers widespread coverage with lower speeds; mid-band strikes a balance between coverage and performance; and high-band 5G provides ultra-fast speeds for data-intensive applications, but with limited range. The location and nature of the deployment — whether for a fixed site, vehicle, or IoT — will determine which 5G spectrum layer is most appropriate.

In addition to spectrum, other important considerations include flexibility, management, scalability, and security. A good 5G router should offer the flexibility to be deployed in various locations, support easy management through cloud-based platforms, and enable quick expansion for growing organizations. Features such as VPNs, zero trust security, and network slicing should be easy to deploy. Each of these factors will help ensure that your cellular router for business is both efficient and secure for years to come.

A ruggedized router is a cellular router, or 5G router, that is hardened and designed to protect against extreme vibration, shock, dust, splash, temperature, and humidity. Many organizations use ruggedized routers to provide uninterrupted connectivity for situations where a vehicle that includes mission-critical digital devices and applications must routinely travel through rough terrain amid extreme conditions. A ruggedized router also is important for IoT deployments in remote areas.

An automotive router, or vehicle router uses 5G or 4G LTE to provide connectivity for whatever connected devices and applications an organization needs to use in its fleet vehicles, such as police cars, fire apparatuses, ambulances, ferries, public buses, and school buses. Maintaining connectivity anywhere on the road is crucial for enabling in-vehicle applications and real-time communication, as well as live video streaming in emergency scenarios.

A dual-modem automotive or vehicle router allows SIM cards from different carriers to be active at the same time. If one signal is degraded, the automotive router switches from one carrier to another automatically and instantly. These routers can accommodate cellular and satellite, too. Dual-modem automotive routers are vital for mission-critical communications as vehicles travel across highly disparate coverage areas.

Enterprise businesses and public agencies use Ericsson Cradlepoint routers to connect critical devices and applications anywhere using cellular, wired, and satellite links. Cradlepoint routers are heavily leveraged for Wireless WAN and private cellular networks in industries ranging from retail, food service, financial services, healthcare, utilities, public transportation, law enforcement, EMS, city and federal government, and more. Purpose-built Cradlepoint routers provide different capabilities in vehicles, branch locations, and IoT deployments.

Many Cradlepoint routers and adapters support 5G connectivity for Wireless WAN, with different routers supporting different types of 5G, including 5G low-band, mmWave high-band, and 5G mid-band.