The future starts in Solingen
Technische Betriebe Solingen is on the way to becoming a smart city with its own 5G industrial private network
With its own 5G industrial private network on the premises of Technische Betriebe Solingen (TBS), Solicom, a division of TBS and city network operator, is creating the basis for innovative new processes with real-time requirements with COCUS as its digitalization partner. Remote maintenance using augmented reality (AR) applications and the planned use of drone technology to measure bulk goods across the entire site are to be implemented first in order to optimize existing processes and workflows.
Solingen knows how valuable digitization is. With a forward-looking and sustainable digitization strategy, it has been one of 13 nationally funded “Smart City Model Cities” since 2020 and is creating the infrastructure for innovation with the targeted expansion of the 5G network by 2025. As the largest infrastructure service provider in the city of Solingen, Technische Betriebe Solingen in particular is driving this expansion of the digital, data and service infrastructure. The main focus here is on the future technology 5G and its many possibilities.
Comprehensive and wireless coverage of 50,000m²
Comprehensive and wireless coverage of 50,000 m² of heterogeneous company premises thanks to the advantages of the 5G campus network
A local 5G industrial private network is now being created on the premises of Technische Betriebe together with COCUS in order to test and implement a wide range of new scenarios, such as in the areas of maintenance using AR and the use of drone technology. This is because a campus network is an exclusive mobile network for a defined area, which provides a highly flexible, secure and powerful network infrastructure as the basis for wireless and area-wide networking. 5G technology offers many of the necessary features for this, such as extremely high bandwidth, short latencies and improved availability.
This is particularly interesting for the nature of the 50,000m² factory site, as the heterogeneity of open spaces and old and new factory buildings makes it a particularly exciting case for the operation of networks. This is because cable-based LAN connections are not suitable for mobile scenarios, and WLAN does not offer the necessary transmission quality, coverage and security. In addition, the network infrastructures for the planned 5G-based use cases must ensure fast responsiveness of the mobile units.
"With the 5G Campus network, we are creating the basis for innovative processes, augmented reality applications, and much more to enable new and efficient workflows and look forward to jointly implementing a wide variety of 5G use cases with COCUS AG."
– Tobias Ziemann, Departmentlead at Technische Betriebe Solingen
"With the 5G Campus network, we are creating the basis for innovative processes, augmented reality applications, and much more to enable new and efficient workflows and look forward to jointly implementing a wide variety of 5G use cases with COCUS AG."
– Tobias Ziemann, Departmentlead at Technische Betriebe Solingen
Among the first planned use cases is the use of augmented reality applications for fleet service and maintenance purposes. Due to the use of a large number of special vehicles, very specialized know-how is often required for maintenance and repair. This can be accessed using augmented reality applications just by stopping a smartphone or tablet step-by-step operating instructions on the real image, which identify the repair needs on the object and display direct instructions on the device. It will no longer be necessary to train employees for very specific machines.
"At Technische Betriebe Solingen, the advantages of 5G technology are ideally used through our 5G Campus2Go to realize future-oriented use cases for smart city concepts! A groundbreaking vision for the future of TBS that can be turned into reality through real-time communication, remote maintenance through augmented reality and the use of drones."
– Sascha Hellermann, Board member, COCUS AG
"At Technische Betriebe Solingen, the advantages of 5G technology are ideally used by our 5G Campus2Go to realize future-oriented use cases for smart city concepts! A pioneering vision for the future of TBS that can be turned into reality through real-time communication, remote maintenance and augmented reality."
– Sascha Hellermann, Board member, COCUS AG
As a digitization partner with over 20 years of experience in the telecommunications industry, COCUS is now working closely with Technische Betriebe Solingen to provide the digital infrastructure for the 5G-based use cases. COCUS is supporting TBS in setting up a complete infrastructure of the scalable and powerful end-to-end connectivity solution for the planned use cases.
About Solicom:
Solicom is a division of Technische Betriebe Solingen and is the city network operator in Solingen. Solicom operates an extensive fiber optic network in the Solingen city area. The fields of activity include the expansion of business parks, the connection of mobile radio stations, network operation of gigabit infrastructures, the leasing of dark fiber connections, broadband expansion and much more.
