Shaping the Future of Secure Connectivity: Thales on the Next Era of Private Networks

October 2025

Telecoms & Connectivity

Sam Barker

VP of Telecoms Market Research

Thales’ eSIM as a Service solution recently triumphed at the Future Digital Awards, claiming the Gold Prize in Private Network Innovation. To celebrate, we sat down with SVP Guillaume Lafaix to explore how the private network market is evolving, what challenges must be overcome for it to reach its full potential, and how Thales is helping enterprises build the secure, high-performance connectivity of the future.

Guillaume joined Thales (formerly Gemalto) in 1999 and has spent the past 25 years in key leadership roles spanning product management, regional marketing, business development, and sales across Mexico, Dubai, Argentina, and France. Appointed Senior Vice President in 2017, Guillaume now leads the Connectivity Solutions and Embedded Software product line within Thales’ global Cyber and Digital business unit. From the company’s headquarters in France, he oversees the embedded software range (including secure elements and eSIM), as well as the eSIM solutions suite and software portfolio serving mobile operators, IoT players, and OEM customers worldwide.

Firstly, how do you see the market for private networks developing?

In the next three years, the market for mobile private networks is expected to experience significant growth; driven by the increasing demand for secure, high-performance connectivity in domains such as manufacturing, logistic, or critical infrastructure, among others. The arrival of advanced technologies like 5G and 5G Standalone (SA), being secure by design, are fundamentally enhancing the capabilities of private networks; offering superior coverage, bandwidth, lower latency, and enhanced reliability. These advancements, combined with the growth of industrial IoT, will encourage more enterprises to adopt mobile private networks tailored to their specific needs; driving automation and operational efficiency, but also security.

We can see the evolution of private networks towards cellular solutions through the number of projects that Thales supports with its innovative solutions - over 180 distinct mobile private networks so far. These deployments are particularly thriving in industrialised countries, like the USA, Germany, the UK, and France, where dedicated spectrum has been allocated. This trend underscores the growing recognition of the unmatched security and reliability that mobile private networks offer.

Beyond developed regions, emerging markets are poised to jump on the mobile private network bandwagon; modernising infrastructure and bolstering industrial competitiveness. Overall, the prospects for mobile private networks are bright, and we are excited to see how businesses will leverage Thales’ tailored solutions to drive efficiency, innovation, and enhanced security in our increasingly digital world.

What challenges need to be overcome for the market to truly reach its potential?

As we look toward the future of the mobile private networks market, several important challenges must be addressed for the sector to reach its full potential.

Spectrum availability and management remain major challenges. Although some developed countries have allocated spectrum, the allocation in many countries remains complex and is still vital. Policymakers and industry leaders need to work together to ensure fair access to spectrum resources; helping to promote growth and support a wide range of applications across different industries.

The complexity of deployment is a major hurdle. Integrating with existing systems, new telecom technologies, or deploying small quantities of devices can feel overwhelming, especially for organisations lacking technical expertise or resources. Thales' expertise and support, as well as solutions such as turnkey services like those offered by Thales, facilitate this process.

Security is also a critical consideration. While private networks inherently enhance security, organisations must stay vigilant against ever-evolving cyber threats. Whether in manufacturing plants, public safety, transportation, or energy infrastructures, it is essential to ensure the confidentiality and integrity of private network communications to prevent operational disruptions and data breaches. Private mobile networks offer several built-in and structural security advantages thanks to security by design.

Mobile networks are built with security natively embedded at every layer – from radio access to the core network – and provide strong user authentication (via SIM or eSIM), mandatory encryption, and data integrity, which are fundamental to the mobile network architecture.

While concerns are sometimes raised about the lack of established standards for private networks and their potential impact on interoperability, it should be noted that mobile private networks are based on cellular technology – a proven and evolving standard. As the ecosystem develops, cellular standards continue to adapt (e.g. with 5G slicing) to address specific private network requirements. Nonetheless, promoting industry-wide collaboration remains important to foster further integration and ensure the successful development of a comprehensive ecosystem.

Which services are most important in future-proofing private networks?

Making private networks more robust and adaptable depends on using the right services and solutions. Thales’ offerings make onboarding of cellular devices into mobile private networks and their remote management easy, flexible, and secure. These tools help keep private networks efficient, while also allowing them to adapt to the changing digital world.

Thales eSIM as a Service for private networks is a game-changer. It provides a complete service, allowing solution providers not only to manage the deployment of their devices – from defining SIM subscriptions and ordering them, to managing their lifecycle remotely – but also to deploy devices and customer subscriptions easily and quickly. This reduces time to market, whether for tests or large-scale production rollouts. To meet diverse market demands, the solution supports both SIM-based deployments and the new eSIM technology, providing access to GSMA-certified SM-DP+ (the server for remote eSIM management) and over-the-air (OTA) services.

The SM-DP+ enables efficient provisioning of eSIM profiles into eSIM-equipped devices, while the OTA service allows remote updates, adaptation of profiles to changing network parameters, and downloading or configuring new applets – all without physical access to the SIM or eSIM. This approach significantly boosts operational efficiency and reduces costs, while ensuring seamless, uninterrupted connectivity.

One key advantage of devices used for mobile private networks is that they can also benefit from the connectivity of public networks provided by traditional mobile operators. The Thales Private Connect applet keeps devices connected by securely switching to a public network when a private network is temporarily unavailable, and reconnects them once private coverage resumes – guaranteeing consistent and reliable connectivity.

Finally, Thales’ cybersecurity solutions, such as the Hardware Security Module (HSM), are indispensable for private network providers seeking robust protection for their networks. These secure sensitive data, protect subscriber privacy and authentication, and safeguard critical applications by effectively storing, protecting, and managing cryptographic keys.

As private networks continue to grow and evolve, Thales’ solutions are at the forefront – enabling organisations to leverage these networks effectively and securely, safeguarding their operations against future challenges.

What is the role of eSIM in the development of private networks?

eSIM technology has become mainstream across a wide range of devices – from consumer smartphones to IoT applications such as smart electricity meters and connected cars. It plays a crucial role in the development of mobile private networks, bringing significant benefits to these environments. As demand for secure, high-performance connectivity continues to rise, eSIM technology offers a flexible and efficient solution perfectly aligned with advanced enterprise needs.

One of the primary advantages of eSIMs is how they simplify connecting devices to private networks. Because an eSIM can be provisioned and managed remotely, organisations can scale effortlessly without the logistical challenges of physical SIM distribution and installation. Additionally, eSIMs support a wide range of network configurations and can be programmed with multiple profiles, enabling devices to easily switch between different networks (private and public) as needed. Such flexibility is especially beneficial for industries with mobile workforces and IoT applications.

How is Thales supporting private network providers?

Thales is focused on making advanced connectivity simple and accessible. Its eSIM as a Service solution is packed with benefits for private network providers and users alike – the ideal choice for organisations looking to enhance connectivity without wrestling with technical complexities.

By partnering with Thales, organisations can focus on their core expertise while Thales handles the connectivity supply. This allows businesses to concentrate on their digital transformation, confident that their connectivity needs are expertly managed.

Another major advantage is the ability to quickly acquire eSIM profiles or SIM cards – in both small and large quantities – without the need for forecast planning or advance orders. This flexibility ensures users and devices can be rapidly connected to mobile private networks, facilitating smooth operations and enabling quick scaling to meet rising connectivity demands.

One standout feature of eSIM as a Service is Thales’ off-the-shelf, pre-defined 4G/5G and 5G SA eSIM/SIM profiles. This eliminates the need for organisations to engage in complex technical projects, enabling them to deploy solutions tailored to their immediate requirements.

Lastly, the all-inclusive remote provisioning service, SM-DP+, simplifies downloading eSIM profiles directly to eSIM-enabled devices. This streamlines the provisioning process and makes eSIM profile management and updates effortless over time.

In short, Thales eSIM as a Service empowers private network users with a robust, user-friendly, and expert-driven service that integrates seamlessly with existing operations and strengthens connectivity capabilities – making a real difference in today’s fast-paced digital environment.

Thales is a global leader in secure connectivity and cybersecurity solutions, driving innovation in the IoT ecosystem across multiple industries. To find out more about its eSIM as a Service solution, please visit the website. You can also connect with Guillaume on LinkedIn.