Ericsson launches Private 5G to enable Industry 4.0
Ericsson has launched Ericsson Private 5G, offering secure and simple 4G LTE and 5G Standalone (SA) connectivity aimed at Industry 4.0 and boosting digital transformation.
The Swedish communications technology and services giant, headquartered in Stockholm, says the solution primarily targets manufacturing, mining and process industries, offshore and power utilities, as well as ports and airports.
Ericsson Private 5G uses cloud-based network management to keeps sensitive data on-premise, has zero downtime upgrades and guarantees high performance through Service-Level Agreements (SLAs).
Importantly, Ericsson claims it can be installed at any facility in just a few hours and can be scaled to include greater coverage, more devices and higher capacity to meet demand. Businesses can manage their networks and integrate with IT/OT systems via an open API.
Private 5G leverages 4G/5G radio and dual mode core technology, enabling a wide variety of use cases for both indoor and outdoor environments. It could be used to track assets, provide real-time automation, or create a digital twin to optimize manufacturing.
“With Ericsson Private 5G, we take the best of Ericsson's current portfolio and top it up with the best of our new technology,” says Thomas Noren, Head of Dedicated Networks, Business Area Technologies and New Businesses, Ericsson.
“We do this to give businesses what they need to improve productivity, enable new offerings and give employees a better working environment. With Ericsson Private 5G, we also give operators a better way to serve business customers and leverage their assets – in short, to grow beyond mobile broadband.
What Private 5G can bring to Industry 4.0
Peter Burman, Program Manager Mine Automation, at Swedish mining company Boliden, adds: “Automation, and safety through automation in our mining operations is an absolute must for us. Ericsson Private 5G is exactly what Boliden needs to bring high quality, fast and secure connectivity into potentially hazardous environments allowing us to mobilise efficiency and safety improving use cases.”
5G’s reliability, high speeds and bandwidth also open up new possibilities that previously did not exist, allowing companies to develop new ways of working based on live data from the edge.
“Private 5G networks are highly attractive for producing companies because of the uncompromised performance that 5G can bring, allowing them to tackle the challenges of production,” says Niels König, Coordinator 5G-Industry Campus Europe, Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology IPT.
“Efficiently deploying and using network solutions in enterprises requires simplicity in installation, flexibility in connecting to existing production IT and lean operations while at the same time being able to scale the network to meet future challenges. Ericsson Private 5G delivers exactly these capabilities.”
