ASOCS is disrupting the industrial network connectivity market with an open and virtualized software solution that delivers 5G private mobile network solutions in a single software stack.
In the following blog post, we will cover some basic concepts of 5G private networks for industry 4.0. For more in-depth information including key terminology and network components, we recommend downloading our guide: 5G 101 For Industry CIO.
The factory of the future is where industry breaks away from the traditional model and moves to smart manufacturing. We’re talking about advances in robotics, materials and production techniques integrating with artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), and even Augmented Reality (AR). The goal is to get every object in the factory to communicate with the others, share data and analytics, improve automation processes and solve recurring issues.
If an industrial manufacturer wants to build a smart manufacturing plant, it needs a network it can rely on. Communicating volumes of time-sensitive data implies specific capacity and latency requirements. This is where 5G Private Networks come to play.
What is 5G and why is it important for Industry 4.0?
5G technology is considered a breakthrough for private networks in industrial enterprises. The following key benefits explain why 5G is imperative to industry 4.0: high reliability, low latency, higher device density, speed of implementation, security, new levels of virtualization, and network slicing. You can read about them in our blog post “Here’s why 5G private networks are the next big thing”.
New spectrum on the horizon!
With 5G, operators are no longer a prerequisite for creating a private network. We see more and more countries around the world allocating radio frequencies for public and industry use. This means that you do not have to turn to a network operator in order to gain access to a radio network; you can do it on your own or with the help of a system integrator.
Private networks that are truly private
In past generations, private networks were never really completely private. They involved a network operator allocating a certain portion of your network for your use, meaning that at least some of the information left your network. Additionally, separate network management was nearly impossible.
5G changes all that, and while you can still engage with a network operator for a private network, and they even have some new tools such as network slicing to create more separation, you also have an option to create a true end-to-end private network. In this case, all data and control stay within the facility, within the private network, and behind your firewall. Deployment and configuration are also handled within the network. Privacy is optimal as is Quality of Service: this is a dedicated network that you can design to meet the level of service you need.
Non-standalone 5G (5G NSA) vs. Standalone 5G (5G SA)
Non-standalone 5G (5G NSA) is a 5G network that uses 5G radio and 4G Core. This type of network caters to network operators’ desire to deploy 5G networks quickly without deploying an entire network. 5G Standalone (SA) is a full-fledged 5G network – both the Radio Access Network (RAN) and the Core Network.
For private 5G enterprise networks, 5G SA is the only deployment that makes sense. The reasons are that the Network Core is where most of the 5G benefits for Industry 4.0 lie, and there is no need to install a redundant 4G network.
Conclusion
In this blog post, we briefly touched upon some of the values that 5G Private Networks hold for Industry 4.0 as well as key terms and new deployment options.
If you’d like to dig deeper into these and other topics such as components and architecture, download the full guide.
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