Ligado CEO Doug Smith spoke at the Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC) about the potential for Custom Private Networks to unlock the power of 5G and critical IoT connectivity for core infrastructure industries like utilities, transportation and manufacturing.

Smith joined the BPC’s “3I” series on Infrastructure Ideas and Innovations for a discussion on the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) on March 13. Michele Nellenbach, Director of Strategic Initiatives at the BPC, moderated a fireside chat with Smith, which covered Ligado’s plans to dedicate licensed spectrum to tailor network services and solutions to address the unmet needs of industry.

“Custom Private Networks are networks that take full advantage of all the innovation and technology that we have available to us. But we apply it in a way that is very specific and customized to an individual customer or industry,” Smith said.

Smith highlighted several applications for these networks, like providing utilities with network coverage that supports real time metrics and monitoring to facilitate remote inspection of gas pipelines via drones and expand delivery of patient data from medical helicopters to hospitals.

He also discussed Ligado’s plans to develop a high-precision location network across the United States that augments GPS signals to ensure greater accuracy for autonomous vehicles.

“You can bring that 10 meters of accuracy down to 10 centimeters of accuracy,” he said. “That’s a real change.”

The event also included a panel discussion regarding the policies and investments required to improve the quality and competitiveness of America’s infrastructure. Panelists included Scott Bogren, Executive Director, Community Transportation Association of America; Joy Ditto, President and CEO, Utilities Technology Council; and Adria Finch, Innovation Team Director, city of Syracuse, New York.

You can watch the full event here:

Ashley Durmer is the Senior Vice President, Government Relations & Corporate Communications at Ligado Networks