The British company Vodafone, one of the world's largest cellular operators, will present a private 5G base station based on the Raspberry Pi, a single-board computer the size of a bank card. This was reported by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).

The company has joined forces with the British Lime Microsystems to produce sets of 5G stations costing from $800 to $12 thousand. Such stations are compatible with OpenRAN network specifications and can form both private 5G networks and act as an Internet gateway to the public Vodafone network.

The company is confident that many will want to get their own small private 5G network. At the initial stage, it is expected that such a network will be used by companies and organizations. Thus, commercial companies can increase the security of their wireless network, since connection requires a SIM card, and not just a password as in the case of Wi-Fi. But you can also make access easier. As an example, Vodafone cited a bakery with its own 5G network, to connect to which you just need to enter the building.

Private 5G networks are essential for emergencies and rescue operations. For example, a drone with a 5G station will be able to fly over a disaster zone. Any device with a compatible SIM card will register with such a network, transmitting unique identification information and allowing not only to find victims, but also to obtain additional information about them. Additionally, 5G offers lower latency and can be up to ten times faster than Wi-Fi on high-traffic networks.

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