Communication Networks for Industry 4.0
As noted in the previous post in this series, private 5G is rapidly emerging as the ideal communications technology to connect Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) devices used to produce products and deliver services to the edge cloud and, ultimately, the public cloud, in Industry 4.0 implementations. This post examines the requirements for an Industry 4.0 communications network and compares private 5G’s ability to meet those requirements to Wi-Fi’s and private 4G/LTE’s.
Industry 4.0 Communication Requirements
Requirements for Industry 4.0 communication networks include:
- High speed, enabling transfer of large amounts of data between sensors and other IIoT devices to the edge cloud.
- Predictable, ultra-low latency, providing near real-time response to changing conditions. This is especially important in use cases where safety is a concern.
- Enhanced wireless network security, preventing disruption of mission-critical operations.
- Mobility, enabling movement within a production facility, between a production facility and its yard and throughout a campus.
- Extremely high density, supporting connections for very high numbers of IIoT devices.
- Precise location services, supporting applications such as asset monitoring and tracking, automated guided vehicle (AGV) operation and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) operation.
- Network slicing, allowing network resources to be dedicated to individual applications, ensuring that the network meets the requirements of those applications.
Comparing Private 5G Versus Private 4G/LTE and Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi and 4G/LTE networks can’t fully meet the requirements noted in the previous section for Industry 4.0; a more robust and higher performing networking technology is required.
Private 5G, initially implemented in the Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) spectrum and similar frequency bands in Europe and elsewhere, will meet the technical requirements that enable unique Industry 4.0 use cases. 5G is up to 100 times faster than 4G/LTE, with a small fraction of the latency and enhanced security capabilities.
Compared to Wi-Fi, 5G offers higher reliability, more extensive coverage and superior mobility. It eliminates the drawbacks of Wi-Fi’s contention-based system, where every additional connected device threatens to reduce overall network performance, by implementing a highly orchestrated and coordinated system that can be scaled to accommodate millions of devices.
See Figure 1, below, for a detailed comparison of private 5G versus private 4G/LTE and Wi-Fi.
| Wi-Fi 6 | Private 4G/LTE | Private 5G | |
| Environment |
| All environments including environments such as mines and construction sites where public LTE networks do not exist | All environments including industrial environments |
| Speed | Up to 9.6 Gbps | Up to 1 Gbps in best cases, down to narrowband IIoT (very low speed) | 10-20 Gbps |
| Latency and Reliability | >100 ms, may not be able to guarantee latency with high reliability as load increases | 40-50 ms when managed privately using LTE-M | Ultra reliable, low latency communications (URLLC):
|
| Security | Wide variety of mechanisms from weak to strong. | Strong security mechanisms in standards. | Enhanced user/device and network security compared to 4G/LTE, providing very strong security |
| Mobility | Designed primarily for fixed locations | Roaming from private to public LTE networks. Capable of handover at high speed (350 kph relative speed). | Roaming from private to public 5G networks. Capable of handover at high speed (500 kph relative speed). |
| Density | Maximum 512 connections per access point radio | 100,000 connections per square kilometer. Enterprises can configure uplink and downlink and set usage policies. | 1,000,000 connections per square kilometer. Enterprises can configure uplink and downlink and set usage policies. |
| Location Services | Meter-level accuracy using Wi-Fi Location. Indoor only. | 50 meter accuracy | 10 centimeters |
| Network Slicing | Can be approximated using virtual LANs (VLANs) and Quality of Service (QoS). Downlink only. Implementation may be vendor-specific. | Proprietary, available as a software upgrade from some vendors. | Specified in standards. |
| Frequency Ranges | 2.4 and 5 GHz, extending to 1 GHz and 6 GHz | Licensed and unlicensed spectrum including CBRS (3.5 GHz) in the U.S. and 5 GHz | Licensed and unlicensed spectrum, 600 MHz to mm wave (24-29 GHz, 37-43 GHz) including CBRS (3.5 GHz) in the U.S. and 5 GHz |
Source: Deloitte, IEEE, Ananki
Figure 1: Detailed Comparison of Wi-Fi, 4G/LTE and 5G
For an overview comparison of these technologies (the TL;DR version of the figure above), see Figure 2, below.
Summary
While Wi-Fi and private 4G/LTE have, and will continue to have, their place in enterprise networks, organizations will require communications capabilities not supported by these technologies if they want to fully realize the advantages of Industry 4.0 and IIoT. Private 5G offers the complete set of communication capabilities needed to maximize the benefits of Industry 4.0 for all types of enterprises.
This post, the second in a series, is an expanded excerpt from the Ananki white paper “Enabling Digital Transformation and Industry 4.0 with Private 5G”. Register to view the complete white paper.
Further Reading
“Private 5G vs Wi-Fi vs Private LTE” STL Partners
“Private 5G Networks: Enterprise Untethered” Deloitte
“The Disruptions of 5G on Data-Driven Technologies and Applications” IEEE Transactions on Knowledge and Data Engineering
