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EZRA – Private Mobile Networks Made Simple (EXECUTE)

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Project data

  • Project no: GRS-006/26 
  • Amount of funding: CHF 100'000 
  • Approved: 23.04.2026 
  • Duration: 05.2026 - 02.2027 
  • Area of activity:  First Ventures, seit 2018

Project management

Project description

Reliable wireless connectivity is critical for many real-world applications, from live events to industrial operations. Yet today, these environments often rely on complex wired setups or wireless solutions that lack reliability, flexibility, or ease of deployment. Although Switzerland recently enabled private 5G networks, the technology remains difficult to access for most organizations.
EZRA addresses this gap by making private mobile networks simple, portable, and accessible. The system integrates all required network components into a single compact device, enabling fast deployment with minimal setup effort while maintaining high reliability and low latency. Built on software-defined RFSoC technology, the platform is adaptable and future-proof through software updates.
The project focuses on bringing this technology into practical use. With support from First Ventures, EZRA will finalize the system architecture, validate it in real-world environments, and enable pilot deployments with industry partners. The goal is to make private mobile networks usable in temporary and demanding scenarios where existing solutions fail.

Status/Results

During the VALIDATE phase, a first prototype of a portable private 5G system was designed, combining embedded hardware with open-source software into an integrated system. Initial tests confirmed the feasibility of the approach. In parallel, strong industry interest emerged, including concrete discussions with partners for pilot deployments in broadcast, event, and security applications.
Building on this, the EXECUTE phase focuses on validating the system in real-world use through pilot projects in temporary deployment scenarios. To enable early adoption, EZRA will provide the solution as Network-as-a-Service, allowing partners to deploy private mobile networks without upfront infrastructure investment. These deployments will be used to refine the system under operational conditions and align it with practical requirements. At the same time, the project advances the development of a dedicated hardware product. This includes consolidating the system architecture into a compact base station, developing a pre-production prototype, and preparing the foundation for a scalable product offering.

Links

Persons involved in the project

Thomas Gysin, ZHAW, Project Leader
Linus Leuch, ZHAW, Project Employee
Dominique Cachin, Project Advisor
Prof. Dr. Matthias Rosenthal, ZHAW, Project Advisor

Last update to this project presentation  01.06.2026