EUWENA 2024: A New Era of Business-Driven Private Networks

On October 3rd, I had the privilege of attending the EUWENA event in Paris, a milestone gathering for the Mobile Private Networks (MPN) community. For the first time since its creation in April 2021, EUWENA organized a full day of roundtables that covered nearly every aspect of the MPN landscape. With more than 20 speakers and all EUWENA board members present, the event was hosted in a professional audio-video capture studio near Paris, ensuring seamless streaming to the remote audience — and providing fantastic opportunities for interaction beyond the formal discussions.

One message resonated throughout the roundtables: the MPN industry is at a turning point. We are shifting from experimentation to projects that are driven by business outcomes. This evolution marks a critical moment for enterprises considering MPN solutions — not only for the technology itself but also for the measurable returns on investment (ROI) they can expect. We saw examples of industry-wide use cases such as SecureComms migration from TETRA to MCPTT and improved network services for connected workers. Meanwhile, more specific applications like connected vehicles in logistics environments and AI-based video analytics for smart cities are also making significant strides.

Bridging Private and Public Networks

One emerging theme during the event was the growing need for a seamless interaction between private and public networks. Hybrid environments are becoming an attractive solution, offering easier implementation and lower total cost of ownership (TCO). This shift will undoubtedly play a key role in how enterprises approach their network strategies in the near future.

During the roundtable I contributed to, we addressed the question, “The Complexity of Monitoring and Ensuring Service — Is It a Myth?” The moderator’s closing remarks summed it up perfectly: “Monitoring private networks is not a myth; it’s a must.”

The critical nature of MPN use cases, the operational skills gap between traditional IP networks and MPNs, and the additional complexity generated by a fragmented and evolving technology ecosystem mean that enterprises must include monitoring, reporting, and troubleshooting capabilities from the start. It took over 15 years for enterprise IP networks to achieve the maturity, standardization, and interoperability we see today. MPNs, with their mission-critical applications, won’t accommodate that kind of delay. As industry leaders, it’s our collective responsibility to collaborate and aggregate our strengths to ensure our clients have the tools and visibility they need from day one.

Anritsu and SmartViser: A Partnership for the Future

This brings me to a significant milestone we reached on October 2nd: Anritsu’s strategic partnership with SMARTVISER. Together, we are revolutionizing network assurance, delivering an integrated, automated solution that bridges pre-deployment testing with real-time network monitoring. Our collaboration brings unmatched network visibility, combining Anritsu’s real-time monitoring and AI-driven anomaly detection with SmartViser’s expertise in automated testing.

This partnership enables holistic end-to-end assurance for mobile and private networks, empowering Communication Service Providers (CSPs) and enterprises to detect and resolve issues proactively, before they impact users. By harnessing AI-powered monitoring, operators can reduce downtime, enhance operational efficiency, and optimize network performance for mission-critical environments, such as manufacturing and logistics.

With this collaboration, we’re enabling industries relying on private networks to achieve seamless automation, continuous testing, and unparalleled performance. As Gilles Ricordel, CEO of SmartViser, perfectly summed up, “Together, we’re shaping the future of private and mobile networks, with testing, visibility, and automation from lab to live.”

Looking Ahead

The EUWENA event was a reminder that private networks are rapidly evolving beyond the hype and into real-world business applications. The shift to business-driven, outcome-based projects is here, and service assurance will play a vital role in ensuring these networks live up to their potential. Anritsu and SMARTVISER are proud to be part of this journey, providing the tools and expertise that will allow enterprises to confidently embrace the future of connectivity.