Celona Orion targets converged wireless for AI-native enterprises

Celona Orion is a converged wireless platform due to launch this year that brings private 5G, Wi-Fi, public cellular, and satellite connectivity under one management model.

The company positions the product for operational environments using autonomous robots, computer-vision systems, edge AI devices, and software agents. Celona says key capabilities will arrive on a phased basis from Q4 2026.

Celona positions Orion for physical AI connectivity

While wireless networks have typically connected people and the devices they use, Celona argues that autonomous machines and AI systems impose different requirements because they cannot compensate for latency, jitter, or dropped packets.

Rajeev Shah, Celona’s co-founder and CEO, said enterprises have deployed multiple wireless technologies as separate networks. He said Orion brings those technologies into a unified fabric for modern enterprise operations.

Brandon Butler, Senior Research Manager for Network Infrastructure and Services at IDC, commented: “Wi-Fi and private 5G have matured into essential but largely disconnected enterprise connectivity technologies. Yet as AI workloads and edge computing reshape operational networks, enterprises increasingly need both—not as separate silos, but as a unified, intelligently managed system.

“In an AI-driven era where connectivity is foundational to business innovation, platforms that converge Wi-Fi and private 5G management – coupled with AI-driven orchestration and insights – address a real operational challenge.”

Private 5G and Wi-Fi have separate roles in Orion

Celona says Orion will assign private 5G and Wi-Fi different functions within a campus environment. Private 5G is intended to provide reach and deterministic performance for autonomous machines.

Wi-Fi is intended for high-capacity connectivity and bandwidth-intensive applications. The company says public cellular and satellite connectivity will complement those campus networks.

Public cellular is intended to support guest access and remote operations. Satellite links are intended to extend connectivity to locations beyond the campus network.

This model places four wireless access types under one platform. Celona says enterprises will be able to use available spectrum across those networks. The company also plans a single subscription covering private 5G and Wi-Fi. Celona says Wi-Fi 7 access points will be included at no additional cost under that commercial model.

Orchestrator AI adds agents and network interfaces

Orion includes Orchestrator AI, a planned extension of Celona’s cloud-native Celona Orchestrator operations product. Celona describes Orchestrator AI as an agentic operating system for converged wireless.

Celona Brain sits at the centre of the design. The company describes it as a custom model that codifies Celona engineering expertise and deployment experience for network operations.

Orchestrator AI will expose network functions through open, standards-based interfaces, according to the release. Celona also plans an extensible library of skills and agents developed by the company. Those agents are intended to work with an enterprise’s preferred large language model platform. Celona states that they can collaborate with other agents across an AI-native enterprise.

Starlink management and AerConnect broaden the access model

Orion will integrate management of Starlink satellite connectivity with private 5G and Wi-Fi, Celona states. Teams will be able to bring up private 5G, Wi-Fi, and satellite-backed connectivity from one platform under the company’s plan.

Celona claims new sites can be brought online in hours rather than weeks or months. However, the release provides no deployment data or case study supporting that timeframe.

The platform also includes Celona AerConnect, an open-source wireless agent for robotics and AI device makers. Celona presents AerConnect as a way for device makers to embed multi-network connectivity without becoming wireless specialists.

AerConnect is intended to support private 5G and Wi-Fi connections. Public cellular and satellite links are also included in its proposed multi-network model. Celona states that devices can select connectivity suited to each application.

Security design covers SIM identity and IT/OT separation

The Orion security design includes SIM-based identity, according to Celona. The company also identifies micro-segmentation for operational technology as part of the platform.

IT and OT separation forms another element of the proposed design. Celona plans to deliver these functions through an in-house software stack and a single trusted supply chain. The initial announcement does not provide technical detail on the software stack and does not explain how micro-segmentation, SIM-based identity, or IT/OT separation will be implemented.

Luca Chichiarelli, Head of IT Operations at Del Conca USA, said: “Our operations rely on multiple wireless technologies, each serving a different purpose across environments. As we expand automation, we’re connecting more devices, systems, workflows, and workers in more places than ever before.

“Bringing those networks together under a common platform can simplify operations while maintaining the security, reliability, and control our business requires.”

Lane Wooldridge, Business Development Lead for Advanced Wireless Solutions at INS, added: “Based on our experience deploying networks with Celona, we’ve seen that most require Wi-Fi and private cellular to work together, with each matched to the applications it supports best—typically Wi-Fi for IT use cases and private cellular for OT.

“These use cases increasingly overlap in the same physical spaces, and as IT and OT converge, those environments only grow more complex. Celona’s Orchestrator AI agents can help network teams simplify operations while maintaining the visibility and performance those applications depend on.”

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