By
Brian Ladrido - Program Manager, NET+ Cloud Services
Internet2 is excited to announce the launch of the NET+ Kajeet Private 5G and Neutral Host Network Platform (NHNP). Kajeet is a leading provider of wireless managed services.
Selected through a competitive procurement process and vetted through an Internet2 NET+ Service Evaluation process, this private 5G and neutral host networking offering can expand secure, reliable wireless coverage across campuses, support cutting-edge research applications, and improve connectivity in classrooms, labs, and underserved areas.
This new service brings simplified deployment, competitive pricing, and research-ready flexibility to research and higher education (R&E) institutions.
You can learn more about Kajeet Private 5G on the Kajeet website.
Community-Driven Evaluation
The R&E community asked NET+ for an option to explore private LTE/5G and neutral host networking.
In response, Internet2 NET+ worked with R&E institutions to conduct a competitive procurement process. The Internet2 NET+ team then convened a service evaluation group of nine representatives from R&E institutions to review the Kajeet solution.
The input from eight institutions shaped the NET+ Kajeet service and ensured it aligns with higher education priorities.
The NET+ Kajeet offering reflects more than a year of community-driven work, including developing requirements, testing solutions, negotiating a business model and contract, and rigorously evaluating the technology.
In all, the service evaluation process covered:
- Functional Assessment – Institutions reviewed almost 70 use cases and developed an R&E product roadmap.
- Technical Integration – Layer-3 IPSec tunneling enabled simpler deployments.
- Security & Compliance – Institutions reviewed Kajeet’s Higher Education Cloud Vendor Assessment Tool (HECVAT), SOC 1 / SOC 2 compliance, and accessibility attestations (VPAT, WCAG).
Why It Matters for R&E
Institutions are increasingly exploring how private wireless networks can support:
- Smart classrooms and research labs
- Secure campus Internet of Things and facilities management
- Expanded connectivity for underserved areas
- Enhanced outreach and extension services
During the NET+ Service Evaluation, evaluators negotiated a simplified pricing model that is significantly more accessible to R&E institutions compared to commercial rates.
Join the NET+ Kajeet Launch Webinar
We invite the entire R&E community to hear directly from their peers who have shaped this service. Kajeet representatives will also be on hand to discuss how the new service works in practice.
NET+ Kajeet Launch Webinar – Nov. 20, 2025, at 1 p.m. ET
Speakers include:
- Brian Ladrido, NET+ program manager, Internet2
- Jamaal Smith, vice president of Sales & Business Development, Private Wireless Networks, Kajeet
- Nash Higgins, 5G network architect, Technology Services – Networking and Telecommunications, Texas A&M University
- Keith Moores, IT enterprise solutions architect, University of Virginia
- Jonathan Polly, chief technical manager, DxHUB, California Polytechnic State University
Learn More
The Internet2 NET+ service portfolio is a selection of cloud solutions requested, vetted, and advanced by the R&E community.
The addition of NET+ Kajeet now expands options for networking innovation.
Reach out to us at netplus@internet2.edu to learn more about the newest NET+ service.
Additional Resources
About the Internet2 NET+ Program
The Internet2 NET+ program delivers cloud services vetted by higher education institutions for research and education. With over 20 services subscribed to by 600+ institutions, NET+ ensures solutions are optimized for functionality, security, compliance, pricing, and ease of deployment.
For more information, visit internet2.edu/cloud/internet2-net-plus-services.
About Kajeet
For more than 20 years, Kajeet has supported over 3,000 customers and more than 5 million wireless lines across Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile. With 40+ private wireless deployments, Kajeet is a trusted partner in Private LTE, CBRS spectrum, and 5G network design.
About the Author(s)
Brian Ladrido is a Program Manager on the NET+ team at Internet2, where he leads UCaaS programs tailored for the higher education and research community and chairs the Internet 2 Future Wireless Working Group. Brian holds an MPS degree in Enterprise Architecture degree from Penn State University and has over two decades of experience in Information Technology, serving previous roles in higher education, private sector organizations, and as an independent consultant.
Check out Brian's LinkedIn Profile.