IT INFRASTRUCTURE JANUARY 2020
MAKING
THE
CONNECTION
Implementing 5G technology
will provide benefi ts over and
above a speed boost for UK
manufacturers
BY IAN POULETT, BUSINESS MANAGER, INDUSTRIAL COMMUNICATION SIEMENS DIGITAL INDUSTRIES
The deployment of 5G in industry is not
about how fast you can download a
movie, nor about the speed at which you
can download a lot of data quickly. Of far
greater signifi cance to the manufacturing
sector is the near-zero latency of 5G
networks that will make it a game-changer in UK
industry and a driver for Industry 4.0. As 5G is still
being rolled out, it will continue to evolve over the
next fi ve years, bringing in high data volume in real
time, enabling a quantum leap in mission-critical
information to enable productivity gains.
Data will certainly continue to be king, and
how this data is analysed to create quick response
times will hold the key to the success of using
5G networks in manufacturing. While the
standards and framework are currently being
written and technical protocols are still work in
progress, all in the industry need to understand
how important it is for both Operational
Technology (OT) and Information Technology
(IT) to work closely in tandem.
Furthermore, new products in hardware and
software will be developed to meet and keep up
with 5G networks. And, as Ofcom confi rms in
its plans for 5G, its initial purpose is to improve
speed and capacity for mobile
broadband (https://bit.ly/2Frlfpu).
Mobile network operators are
the fi rst to deploy 5G networks
and services on their existing
sites to meet the growing
demand for data. However,
we know that the innovative
uses of 5G will benefi t a
variety of sectors, including
manufacturing, transport and
healthcare, as well as various
other industry verticals. This
will also pave the way for
private 5G networks. Today,
we see manufacturers using
ethernet and WiFi with 4G
LTE to connect their factory
assets. But with 5G it will allow
factory and plant owners to
power their facilities seamlessly
with one network, off ering
greater fl exibility for wireless
technologies and scalability.
As industry prepares
for 5G, the spectrum and
interconnectivity of industries
such as telecoms, farming
and manufacturing is already
starting to take shape. Networks
are conducting trials to see
functionality of the industrial
application of ‘ruggedifi ed’
products, which we will see
come out as early as later this
year. Uptake by manufacturers
will start materialising in the
next two years.
Although this is fast
becoming a reality, there are
some challenges that cannot
be ignored, and the industry
must act quickly to ensure
smooth transition of new
technologies which will come
with adoption of 5G networks.
Factories and their network sites
have suff ered from enormous
under-investment, due to legacy
plants that need upgrading,
or investment in non-scalable
technologies. Production lines
Implementing
5G in factories
could be
scuppered by a
history of underinvestment,
says Ian Poulett
30 www.manufacturingmanagement.co.uk
/2Frlfpu)
/www.manufacturingmanagement.co.uk