HPE Aruba Targets Private 5G Simplicity with New Offer

HPE Aruba launched a solution for deploying and managing private 5G networks.

HPE's networking subsidiary rolled out HPE Aruba Networking Enterprise Private 5G offering, which includes a 4G/5G core, SIM/eSIM cards, servers, small cells and a dashboard. New are 4G and 5G small cell radios designed to provide indoor and outdoor coverage without the use of a third-party provider.

Business users will one day be able to manage the product set with the HPE Aruba Networking Central dashboard.

Private 5G

Executives said makes Aruba a category of one for providing "comprehensive Wi-Fi and private 5G solutions." HPE signaled its private 5G ambitions in February 2023 when it announced the acquisition of Italian mobile core provider Athonet.

HPE Aruba wireless chief technology officer Stuart Strictland said the company has integrated Athonet core cellular solutions with its existing enterprise networking strengths. For example, the private 5G offering includes HPE ProLiant Gen11 servers.

HPE Aruba's Stuart Strickland

"Enterprise and industrial customers are increasingly seeking to deliver wireless coverage in demanding environments, including large outdoor areas, serving fast-moving clients, and providing deterministic access in dedicated spectrum," Strickland said.

Tom Rebbeck, partner at Analysys Mason, said HPE is taking on the complexity enterprises face in establishing private cellular networks.

Related:HPE Buying Private 5G Network Provider Athonet for Telco, Aruba Enhancements

The solution comes as pre-integrated and pre-tested in order to cut down on configuration time, the company said.

“‘Many private network solutions are too complex, even for large enterprises with internal network expertise,” Rebbeck said. “We expect customers to embrace solutions that can make private networks easier to deploy and manage.”

Analysys Mason's Tom Rebbeck

In addition to targeting enterprises with large campus or industrial environments, HPE Aruba is eyeing communications service providers (telcos). The vendor encouraged its telco partners to combine the private 5G offering with its Wi-Fi-based managed services to serve their own business customers.