One of the biggest potential risks for 5G operators is that some of the high value business will be taken away by alternative providers, especially companies targeting industrial and IoT services via private networks. Of course, MNOs can and do support private networks where an industry requires something more specific and optimized than the public network can support – and in future, some aim to enhance the model with the flexibility of on-demand network slicing. But shared spectrum and virtualized networks also make it easier for non-MNOs to enter this space, and the operators will see their traditional suppliers helping the new entrants to achieve their goals. Nokia has been the most open about the potential to bypass its own…