Frankfurt/Main (Germany) – April 20, 2026 – At Hannover Messe 2026, the Alliance for Private Networks (APN) and the 5G Alliance for Connected Industries and Automation (5G-ACIA), announced the signing of a Letter of Intent (LoI) to consolidate their initiatives in advancing the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and private 5G networks.

Both organizations aim to consolidate and align their activities including educational resources, best practices, and selected technology frameworks to better support the industrial ecosystem. The consolidation will provide stakeholders with clearer guidance orientation and strengthen the private 5G ecosystem for IIoT.

The Alliance for Private Networks (APN) promotes the global industry adoption of private networks by educating the ecosystem and providing publicly available tools to simplify deployment. These include a unique global PLMN-ID program and technology blueprints. The PLMN-ID network identifiers are essential for private mobile networks, enabling operators to manage networks and avoid conflicts with others. APN is authorized by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) to assign these identifiers in compliance with the 3GPP specifications.

Looking ahead, 5G-ACIA and APN will align the future administration of the PLMN-ID program under a common framework. The APN’s educational resources are also expected to be integrated into and made accessible through 5G-ACIA channels.

5G-ACIA is the central global forum for driving and shaping Industrial 5G. The organization provides a unique platform for OT and ICT companies, academia and all relevant stakeholders to influence the development and deployment of 5G in line with industrial imperatives.

“The Alliance for Private Networks is advancing the deployment of private wireless networks by developing tools, based on 3GPP technology, such as the Uni5G™ Technology Blueprints and Network Identifier Program to assign PLMN-IDs,” said Dr. Edward Tiedemann, Alliance for Private Networks Board Chair. “Our cooperation with 5G-ACIA will align industry efforts and help to simplify the deployment of IIoT and private wireless networks.”

“5G-ACIA and APN (formerly MFA, the MulteFire Alliance) have been interacting since 2018 and have worked more closely together over the past two years. More recently, APN has also sponsored several 5G-ACIA events. We see untapped potential in the PLMN-ID concept”, said Afif Osseiran, 5G-ACIA General Vice-Chair.

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