In today’s smart manufacturing environment, agility is crucial. Market leadership hinges on the ability to quickly and accurately process valuable data insights. Yet as the sheer volume of available data grows exponentially, many manufacturers lack the networking power to capitalize on this valuable information. A carefully planned private 5G network provides the security, performance and mission-critical reliability that manufacturers need to move forward with confidence.
With the availability of CBRS spectrum, private 5G network implementation now can be achieved faster and more affordably than before. However, there are a number of crucial aspects of private wireless network deployment and management that business and IT decision-makers should consider early in the planning process to ensure the network delivers the best possible return on investment (ROI).
Unleash Industry 4.0 with private 5G
Private 5G networks offer greater security, performance and coverage range than alternative Wi-Fi technology. And with the maturity of 5G technology, wireless networks also can provide low latency that rivals wired networks. These capabilities enable increased operational agility throughout the organization, which is essential for manufacturers to fully embrace Industry 4.0.
Of particular importance is the fact that a private 5G network allows end-to-end data handling across IT and manufacturing systems, automatically sending data to the cloud securely. This means that employees throughout the organization can easily gather real-time data insights without needing to know where the data resides or how to access it — unlike many legacy data management systems that required specific expertise.
This enhanced data management is key to Industry 4.0 transformation, especially at the edge of the network where internet of things (IoT) data resides. But before manufacturers can determine how to effectively build and manage a private 5G network, they should consider the intended use cases for today as well as in the future, allowing room to grow as technology evolves.
Achieve true business transformation
Implementing a private 5G network enables a host of opportunities for improvements in efficiency, security and profitability. With smart manufacturing use cases ranging from predictive maintenance, productivity gains and real-time virtual simulations, to safeguarding plant security with facial recognition, the benefits of a private network are too good to pass up.
However, the increasing virtualization of 5G technology means that network operations are becoming increasingly complex as well. Moreover, new manufacturing models that rely on artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) are raising the stakes for network reliability, security and performance.
In order to mitigate risk and keep employees focused on their primary responsibilities, many enterprises choose to engage a managed service provider like Fujitsu to handle deployment and day-to-day management of their private 5G network. Fujitsu Managed Network Services deliver peace of mind that comes with outstanding quality and reliability for your network, including 24×7 services from our world-class Network Operations Center (NOC).
As the needs of business continually evolve, data is the lifeblood that drives the crucial decisions that will determine success or failure. To learn how to maximize flexible and reliable data management using a secure private 5G network, read the article “Data Drives Industry 4.0, Plan a Smooth Journey to Private 5G” in the August issue of Smart Manufacturing Magazine.
