The potential of 5G experimentation-as-a-service paradigm for operators and vertical industries: the case of 5G-VINNI facility

5G, in contrast to previous mobile network generations, has been conceived with vertical industries in mind. Vertical industry enterprises and other experts have identified a wide set of innovative use-cases that could take advantage of ample throughput, low network delay, widespread coverage and resilience promised by 5G technologies. However, the commercial success of an idea depends on a wide range of socioeconomic factors that call for designers, engineers, business analysts and end-users to collaborate in setting-up, running and analysing a series of experiments. In this paper we describe the “Experimentation-as-a-Service” offering of 5G-VINNI facility, a collection of 5G testbeds, and analyse its potentials and shortcomings by combining online surveys with SWOT and TOWS analysis.