US vendor Celona outlined plans to push its private network equipment globally across various spectrum bands and new hardware almost a year after Verizon deployed its CBRS system, in a bid to better compete with Nokia.

Celona co-founder and CEO Rajeev Shah (pictured) noted a deal with NTT enabled the company to work with the Japanese operator’s global customer base.

“We’ve been very US centric, focused specifically in the CBRS spectrum band so far, but I think as customers have been talking to us it has come up consistently that we need more spectrum options, especially to go global,” Shah told Mobile World Live.

Shah said Celona’s products are now compatible with the 3300MHz to 4200MHz and 3300MHz to 3800MHz bands, and it plans to add 4600MHz to 4900MHz in H2.

In addition to operator deals, Celona works with vertical industry partners to provide private network services across manufacturing, logistics and transport industries.

Shah said enterprises need end-to-end private mobile networks rather than just components.

He believes Nokia is the only other end-to-end private mobile network vendor.

Celona has raised more than $100 million over the past four years to fund its range of network equipment.

Shah said enterprise customers have requested a transition roadmap for moving from 4G to 5G, which it handles through converged hardware enabling each technology to run over the same infrastructure.

He highlighted a 5G LAN range offering zero-touch quality-of-service capabilities and integrated security, with its private network portfolio comprising access points with cloud-based orchestration.

Celona recently added a RAN intelligent controller (RIC) to control functions including channel, power, capacity, admission controls and optimisation.