Virgin Media Premiers Plug-and-Play Stand-Alone Private 5G Network

Virgin Media O2 is offering what it says is the U.K.’s first commercially available plug-and-play stand-alone private 5G network. “Once plugged in, the new portable network enables companies to immediately access 5G connectivity at the flick of a switch, without the time and expense of building an entire network,” the company said Wednesday: “Only slightly larger than a carry-on airline bag, the new product is small but mighty.” The product was first tested by Telefonica’s Wayra, which has been using the network since last summer, Virgin Media said. “Further trials” with companies offering products from virtual reality apps to IoT services “have already shown benefits including high reliability, enhanced data security and ultra-low latency,” the company said.