Autonomous machines and vehicles, remote operations, digital assistance, etc. – network coverage is playing an increasingly decisive role in industry. Private 5G networks have been around for some time, but the last year has seen a steep upward trend like never before.
Here you can find out why many companies are now opting for their own network coverage with 5G. You can expect exciting insights into this year’s 5G industrial private network customer projects from COCUS and the potential progress of the industry in 2024.
COCUS doubled its number of projects for Open-RAN-based 5G industrial private networks in 2023
COCUS doubled the projects for Open-RAN-based 5G industrial private networks in Germany, making it a particularly successful year with an ongoing upward trend. This development can be attributed in particular to the growing demand from industry.
At the same time, efforts to make 5G industrial private networks even more accessible and testable for companies and industries are proving their worth. In 2023, COCUS projects included the construction of own 5G industrial private networks directly at industrial customers as well as 5G research networks. Research networks serve as funded projects to test numerous industry-specific 5G applications.
Trial and error was also a top priority for our industrial customers. COCUS mobile 5G Lab has been in active use this year to test possible 5G applications and then jointly implement E2E. We were also able to expand our product range to include the “LabKit” – the ideal solution for pilot projects and prototypes for R&D and research projects. The Labkit offers particularly easy access to 5G technology with a cost-effective and quick start – our customers are already launching their pilot projects with the LabKit.
Advantages & opportunities for companies with private 5G networks
The growing demand from industry is very noticeable overall. The dominant reason: Many of the industry’s advanced applications cannot be reliably realized by the prevailing implemented network technologies, so more and more companies are opting for a 5G industrial private network. But what exactly does a 5G industrial private network do?
Your own 5G network is a private network that is used explicitly for industrial applications on the company’s own premises. 5G industrial private network offers companies a much more stable and secure network compared to WLAN due to private frequencies. This enables industrial customers to expand their own network with a mobile 5G network and guarantee interference-free network coverage for their applications.
Cost and time savings, real-time operations and precise digitally supported processes and analyses are the key benefits of the applications that can be implemented in the 5G industrial private network. The 5G network provides companies with tailor-made network coverage that creates space for many innovative applications today and in the future.
Highlights: Setup of 5G industrial private networks for automotive, ports & logistics, industry 4.0 & production
From automotive, ports & logistics to Industry 4.0 & production – a 5G industrial private network offers numerous opportunities for all of them, meaning that more and more companies will have opted for the technology by 2023.
To name a few 5G use cases: Data and video transmission, analysis and evaluation of intelligent vehicles in real time and while they are in motion is possible, as well as automated supply chains and processes, reduced effort through remote control and inspection with drones. The possibilities in its own 5G network become even clearer with specific projects:
5G ships to port areas - Havelport Berlin
Havelport Berlin is aiming for a digital test field for the extensive automation of its logistics processes. A digital yard management system is set to automate numerous logistics processes in the future – together with COCUS the implementation with the 5G industrial private network is tested.
This includes optimizing truck deliveries, automating tasks in the port area and speeding up loading and unloading processes. Other items on the agenda include automatic inventory monitoring of bulk goods using drones, automating the route between the port and the CT terminal for swap bodies and enabling autonomous or semi-autonomous driving maneuvers in the port.
Automation & connection technology with 5G network on a grand scale - Welzow Airfield
The Welzow airfield is becoming an innovation hub for 5G applications! From 2024, future 5G research and use cases will be realized there as part of the “5G-Testbed-BB” project. The labkit is used there for in-house research into the use cases of Welzow airfield. The COCUS 5G industrial private network, for example, enables real-time video transmission by drones and creates a unique research network for the research and demonstration of network technologies in the aviation context.
Exciting further 5G network projects awaited
With the 5G industrial private network from COCUS, our customers are opting for a flexible and dynamic solution that enables innovation and new use cases. The doors are open to them for a future-proof and improved organization of profitability – from efficient personnel planning and reliable inventory analyses to the sustainable use of materials and transport.
We are looking forward to the ongoing and new projects that await us in 2024 throughout Germany and in European countries with their own 5G frequency spectrum in order to implement them together in line with our mission “Connecting Industries – Empowering Innovation”!
