Industrial digitization driving demand for private networks

Connectivity has been the single most important factor in revolutionizing industries. Enterprises have come far from having simple voice and data requirements to now having the need for industrial internet. The rising digitalization in industries is creating the demand for reliable, secure and future proof networks that can support the evolving needs of businesses.

According to the Ericsson Mobility Report 2019, Public safety, Utilities, Oil & Gas and Railways are the top industry segments driving the need of private networks globally. But even though various industries have different needs from their cellular technology it is identified that 90 percent of network connectivity requirements remain the same.

Most commonly used mobile access technologies such as WiFi or public LTE networks are unable to meet the connectivity requirements of industries. The continuous investments and improvements in cellular technology on a global scale are making it compelling for governments and industries to explore its use for private networks. Enterprises and service providers both are looking at the efficiencies that a private LTE or 5G network can bring to their business.

Improved security

Industrial connectivity is business-critical and there can’t be any compromises on the security front. In industries such as public safety, mining, oil & gas, railways etc. their networks are tasked with mission critical processes where consumer and employee safety at stake.

With a private network, enterprises can get full local control and edge processing to guarantee reliability and security. It can be designed to meet the tough business- and mission-critical requirements of users with critical communication needs to be fully reliable when even lives are dependent on the performance of the communication.

Going wireless

A private LTE network can decrease a company’s dependency on network cables and also reduce maintenance cost specially for the manufacturing industry. Before this time, wireless connectivity has not been able to deliver on the ultra-reliable communication required to fulfill all industry criteria.

Now, factories are free to cut their network cables to acquire adaptive production. Enter flexible factories; where line changes are efficient and contributing workflows are optimized. Wireless connectivity will make intelligent automation possible and simple on a much larger scale.

Adaptability

Service providers can help enterprises create scalable growth, by leveraging their existing network and spectrum assets through deployment models that best suit the needs of the business. A private network can be tailored to serve various scenarios e.g. indoor and outdoor, data and voice, standalone or integrated with public networks.

Further, it can be enhanced with edge computing and network slicing to adapt to customer needs. Sensors, machines, in-vehicle and hand-held devices can all be integrated across a wide range of enterprise applications.

Ultra-low latency

Once 5G comes into play, private networks can prove to be even more important for business to provide ultra- low latency speeds for mission critical enterprise use cases for example: At Mercedes- Benz’s Factory 56 in Germany, all production systems and machines will be connected and operated via secure 5G that will achieve real-time low latency performance while handling enormous amounts of data.

The 5G network, built by Ericsson and Telefónica Germany, will help Mercedes-Benz to boost the flexibility, precision and efficiency of its production operation.

At the e.GO electric car factory in Aachen, Germany, network slicing and mobile edge computing are set to enable secure automatic identification and delivery of production materials to each vehicle as it goes through the assembly process. The private 5G network, built together with Vodafone Germany, will support fully autonomous vehicles to replace the traditional production line, increasing operational speed and efficiency throughout the production chain.

Recently, Telstra’s Mining Services announced its second official private LTE mining partnership with Ericsson as the technology partner. The project involves the development of an underground private 4G network for South32’s Cannington mine in North West Queensland. At full installation, it would be one of the largest LTE networks for underground mining in the world.

Ericsson is also using dedicated cellular network solutions at its own production facilities to increase production efficiency and sustainability. The private LTE network at Ericsson’s factory in Tallinn, Estonia, is enabling the use of automated guided vehicles and augmented reality (AR) along with massive real-time data collection and analytics to create a more sustainable, efficient and safer production environment.

The extreme low latency and highly adaptable characteristics of Ericsson Private Networks is enabling the rapid integration of sensors, machines, in-vehicles such as built-in remote-control devices in a ship-to-shore crane at a port, and hand-held devices across a wide range of applications for industry enterprises.

Spectrum a key enabler for private networks

Regulators have been releasing more and more spectrum to traditional mobile network operators as well as specialist service providers, and in some countries even directly to local industries and enterprises. These moves have all helped to accelerate the growth and deployment of private networks.

Private networks can use licensed, unlicensed and, in some countries, shared spectrum in the 3.5-4.2GHz and 5GHz bands to provide connectivity. Hence, it is an attractive and flexible option to meet varied market demands.

Private networks can cover a building, a factory or an entire campus and deliver secure communication with full control of coverage, devices and quality of services. Enterprises understand these problems and have a growing demand to look beyond Wi-Fi for secure and highly reliable connectivity. Service providers can leverage existing network assets such as infrastructure, spectrum licenses and operational capabilities, to gain business scalability and build an attractive offering for private networks.

- Nitin Bansal

- The author is Head of Ericsson India and Head of Network Solutions South East Asia, Oceania and India, Ericsson.