- Private network deployments are suffering collateral damage due to the U.S.-Israel‑Iran war
- An SNS Telecom & IT analyst told Fierce Network that some oil facilities in the Middle East served by private networks have likely been damaged
- The targeting of energy facilities raises concerns about network resilience, deployment timelines and operational continuity
Escalating military strikes tied to the U.S.-Israel‑Iran war are increasing risks for private wireless networks that support oil and gas, utilities and public safety operations across the Middle East. While there are no confirmed reports of direct damage to private cellular infrastructure, an SNS Telecom & IT analyst told Fierce Network that the targeting of energy facilities raises concerns about network resilience, deployment timelines and operational continuity.
Israel struck Iran’s South Pars gas field on Wednesday, prompting a series of retaliatory attacks by Iran on energy infrastructure across the region. Targets included the world’s largest liquefied natural gas (LNG) complex in Qatar, as well as facilities in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, according to regional reports.
These attacks place additional strain on the digital infrastructure that supports energy operations, including private cellular networks used for monitoring, automation and worker safety.
“While some of the facilities and end user organizations being served by private networks have definitely been hit, we have no confirmed reports of specific damage to private wireless infrastructure,” said Asad Khan, 5G research director at SNS Telecom & IT.
In the United Arab Emirates, the largest known deployment is ADNOC’s 100‑site, multi‑band private 5G network supporting upstream oil and gas operations. Even before the latest strikes, Khan said ADNOC had temporarily halted some operations.
Saudi Arabia is home to two large‑scale, mission‑critical private network projects. One is Aramco Digital’s Band 72/n72 (450 MHz) network, which is expected to span nearly 2,000 cell sites, said Khan, referring to SNS Telecom & IT research. The other is a nationwide Band 20/n20 (800 MHz) public safety broadband network serving defense, law enforcement and intelligence agencies, he added.
“We expect a temporary slowdown but not a halt in buildout activity. Aramco Digital's network has already had a soft launch in select locations,” Khan said.
Smaller countries in the Gulf like Qatar, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain are also deploying mission-critical private networks. “Private cellular networks supporting public safety, defense, oil and gas, utilities, aviation, ports and manufacturing are also operational in smaller [Gulf] countries,” Khan said.
The risk to private networks supporting energy facilities is not just a regional issue. These systems sit in the middle of global energy production, industrial automation and supply‑chain resilience. Disruptions to their deployment or operation could affect energy markets, industrial output and the pace of private 5G adoption worldwide. While the human cost of the war remains paramount, its impact on these networks underscores how regional conflict can quickly become a global infrastructure concern.