Cisco, NTT Partner To Bring Flexible 5G Connectivity To Global Enterprises

The fixed wireless access that can be made portable is just ‘scratching the surface' in terms of the use cases it will support, according to NTT.

Tech giant Cisco Systems and one of its biggest channel partners, NTT Data, have once again teamed up on a new offering for flexible wireless access at a time in which businesses are searching for reliable, cost-effective connectivity in new places.

The expanded partnership, announced on Monday, relies on Cisco’s eSIM technology that will connect to NTT Data’s Transatel network to provide flexible wireless access. The combination will let businesses activate, provision, and configure secure mobile branches anywhere, on-demand, and with ongoing network device management, the two companies said.

Use cases for the new offering will range from pop-up stores to industrial setting applications and include benefits such remote provisioning, enhanced security, and resilience for these businesses. The new offering based on the partnership between the two companies will be a game changer, especially for regions with long provisioning times, Devin Yaung, NTT's senior vice president and global lead of IoT, told CRN.

"The killer use case is really connecting people where there is no connectivity," Yaung said. "This will really remove a lot of the barriers and address an open space that hasn't been addressed … and we're just scratching the surface."

The offering includes a single eSIM card for private and public 5G connectivity from Cisco at its core, which will let enterprises connect to the network that they need, using cellular technologies for primary or secondary connectivity, and then scale and manage their network needs as their environment changes. Enterprises will also be able to activate, manage, and monitor their Cisco wireless infrastructure -- including Meraki or Catalyst -- by connecting to NTT Data’s Transatel network, the global MVNO that the firm acquired in 2019.

The three benefits of this partnership between Cisco and NTT are simplicity, convenience and security, said Yaung (pictured above).

"I can just get it out of the box and it works, that's the simplicity. The second is security. I can use this as primary connectivity. [We've] had banks come to us and say: 'We want to provide wireless access in our lobbies, but we don't want anybody on our core network. Can I just backhaul on 5G for those that may want to roam?' Then, for convenience, 'I want to set up a pop-up store. I want I have a temporary event on a golf course, and I want to propagate all my enterprise policies on my Meraki, but have it portable.' And with 5G built into every one of these products, if the main network fails, you have a backup," he said.

Thanks to the Transatel network, the offering will work across 180 countries on one management portal to support mobile workforces worldwide, NTT said.

"It's fixed wireless access, but you can now make it portable," Yaung said.

The global 5G Fixed Wireless Access market was valued at approximately $34.07 billion in 2023 and is projected to reach $712.9 billion by 2032, according to IDC.

Some of the largest and most recognizable brands today rely on Transatel SIM technology for connectivity, including Airbus and Land Rover, Yaung said.

The offering is now available to NTT customers and through Cisco's ecosystem of channel partners with flexible pricing plans, according to the two companies.