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The role of Industrial 5G accelerating digital transformation was the focus of the Digital Transformation Council (DTC) Asia webinar, hosted by ARC Advisory Group, India, last month. G. Ganapathiraman, Vice President and General Manager, ARC Advisory Group, India, gave a brief introduction of the DTC, the agenda of the DTC Asia, and the process to be followed during the webinar. ARC Advisory Group’s DTC for the end user community enables industry professionals to keep abreast of the many emerging technologies and business trends, to learn from others on similar journeys, and to leverage these trends and technologies to achieve transformational growth. To join the DTC (end users only) please click on this link.
The webinar began with an informative presentation by Bob Gill, General Manager, Southeast Asia, ARC Advisory Group, followed by a Q&A session with the panelists: Sunil David, Regional Director - IOT, India and ASEAN, AT&T Global Network Services, India; Sachin Mathur, Head of Partnership Programs, Smart Manufacturing, Hexagon; and the audience.
Industrial 5G Accelerating Digital Transformation
Bob Gill’s presentation explored the topic of Industrial 5G cellular technology and its role in accelerating digital transformation. Two years ago, at international trade shows Mobile World Congress Barcelona and Hannover Messe, companies including automation suppliers, cellular technology providers, and network carriers demonstrated the use of 5G for industrial applications and articulated how the new technology would enhance productivity and transform the world of business. It was clear that attempts were being made to meld the worlds of industry and cellular communication, said Mr. Gill.
5G and Digital Transformation: Digital transformation is about performance and business improvement, and 5G can offer significant improvements. Research indicates that 75 percent of industrial companies consider 5G a key enabler of digital transformation. Each successive generation of cellular technology is faster and has better features, explained Mr. Gill. The key network concepts are bandwidth (amount of data that can be transferred per second across the network, measured in megabits per second) and latency (delay time on data transmission on network, measured in milliseconds). Fast network = high bandwidth and low latency. 5G promises superior performance and helps meet the objectives of digital transformation, such as business improvement, competitive excellence, reduced downtime, centralized operations etc.
Further, he spoke about 3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project) specifications, private networks with dedicated spectrums, and specific user cases.
Industrial 5G Q&A
The panelists, Sunil David from AT&T and Sachin Mathur from Hexagon, gave brief overviews of their companies, current roles, and forays into the 5G space. AT&T, headquartered in USA, is one of the largest telecom service providers in the world, and the 5G network is deployed all over the US. “5G is a huge focus for AT&T on the consumer and enterprise sides,” said Mr. David. He said that the company owns the 5G spectrum and infrastructure in the US and Mexico. From a 5G standpoint, the company is very strong on the consumer side (5G broadband, gaming applications, etc.) as it provides entertainment with enhanced connectivity. On the enterprise side, there will be a lot more use cases going forward. Mr. Mathur spoke about the ecosystem play – IoT, smart manufacturing, smart factories etc. - at Hexagon
Truth vs. Hype
In response to the query about 5G being a game changing technology, Mr. David said that the characteristics of 5G, such as low latency, speed, ultra-high network reliability, and security make it a game changer. From 1G to 4G it was all about faster speeds, but 5G is about better user experience. 5G is being used in ways never thought possible, for instance a surgery was conducted through a 5G network (the remote surgeon guided the surgeons in the hospital). A lot more use cases are going to be seen in the manufacturing space – remote operations, AR/VR, and so on. Further, he said that 5G in combination with edge is going to throw up a lot more use cases, because there are a lot of applications where you need to respond faster and send data to the cloud. 5G can be integrated with other access technologies too, said Mr. David.
Mr. Mathur said that from a manufacturing industry standpoint we have to realize that mobility also includes autonomous mobile robots (AMR). Mobility is becoming a reality on the shopfloor in any factory. And to be able to get real-time data for these AMRs, or provide support, quick communication for asset/environmental monitoring, digital twin, machine to machine etc., is very important, and it’s here that 5G will be indispensable. 80 percent of the factories in the world run on legacy systems/equipment, so enabling technologies, like 5G or wireless, will be a game changer.
Plans for 5G Rollout
As both AT&T and Hexagon are active in the 5G space, Bob Gill asked them about their ongoing projects and future plans. Mr. David shared a use case of a semiconductor company based in Austin, Texas. The company was facing challenges, such as limited mobility in the plant that manufactures silicon wafers and integrated sockets. AT&T deployed a private, unlicensed 5G network and this was useful for multiple applications. After last year’s supply chain disruptions, manufacturers realize that the 5G network is essential for the digitalization of the supply chain for visibility and resilience.
Hexagon uses 5G to improve the performance of its own manufacturing operations and to provide enhanced connectivity for customers of its metrology products, said Mr. Mathur. Further, he spoke about Hexagon’s factory in China, where it has deployed 5G solutions primarily for AMRs, so that data is communicated in real time. The next use case that Hexagon is evolving in the factory is the digital twin, starting with a digital baseline of the factory floor for monitoring in real time and comparing the changes. Because these solutions are being built and deployed inhouse, they can be replicated for Hexagon’s customers. The R&D wing of the company is putting 5G inherently in the metrology hardware.
There is huge potential for 5G, but right now AT&T’s focus is on the US where there is a lot of traction, said Mr. David. Globally, the partner ecosystem has to be in place to take advantage of the applications. Hexagon has a presence in many industrial sectors, said Mr. Mathur. Responding to queries from the audience, the panelists said that private 5G networks will be more expensive as opposed to public 5G because of the dedicated spectrum and equipment. The 5G spectrum hasn’t been auctioned as yet in India, hence the commercial rollout may not happen until early next year.