One of the biggest issues in 5G is whether it will fulfil its promise to support vertical industries with specialized wireless connectivity requirements. This will require networks to be built which are optimized for more than just mobile broadband, whether this happens via dedicated systems for applications such as low latency machine-to-machine communications, deployed by an MNO or a private operator; via overlay systems similar to NB-IoT in LTE networks; or via programmable networks that can be sliced to support different comms profiles. Tensions are high in many countries between some of the vertical sectors which most want to use 5G for advanced applications, such as utilities and railways, and the MNOs. The industries often argue that they cannot trust…