WM5G and AE Aerospace have been featured in Raconteur, a B2B publication that publishes printed reports in The Times and The Sunday Times about how to make your business ready for 5G.

Detailing the rollout schedule, how to find the right 5G partners and how to ensure a successful 5G strategy, Raconteur interviewed Robert Franks, Managing Director at WM5G, and Ian Bouquet-Taylor, Operations Director at AE Aerospace, to share their insight and knowledge on the topic.

The coverage builds on the work of WM5G working with AE Aerospace to launch the UK’s first ever private 5G network, which is aimed at increasing operational efficiency, creating new revenue streams and improving both cash flow and working capital.

The 5G use cases currently being undertaken by AE Aerospace, in partnership with WM5G, are part of a plan to double the SME’s turnover in the next three years.

Offering insight into the rollout and strategy of a 5G private network, Bouquet-Taylor recalled that AE Aerospace had a series of conversations over two months about what 5G could enable it to do that Wi-Fi couldn’t, saying:

“This is important, because we are building a private 5G network and investing in sensors, servers and other technologies, all of which is expensive for an SME. We therefore need to know what the return on investment will be.”

Raconteur commented that once having a clear plan in place, a company would be well advised to use one of the government-backed 5G testbeds, such as that of the West Midlands. Franks said that using a testbed: “Will provide a practical understanding of what the technology can do, and what’s involved in implementing and running it, before you have to commit large amounts of money.”

Bouquet-Taylor agreed with this point, stating that companies should “start small, test it to ensure that it works, then expand.”

This is the approach being taken by AE Aerospace as they trial one new 5G application on five of the 19 machines on its factory floor. This enables them to run digital and manual systems in parallel, in the aim of improving operational efficiency and streamlining their revenue model to switch from charging for parts to machine time.

Read the full feature and discover how to make your business 5G ready here.