5G will unlock Manufacturing 4.0

South African manufacturers are looking to move to Industry 4.0, and increasingly keen to harness AI to support automation. However, legacy networks could slow progress. - mybroadband.co.za

featured-image

Gary Woolley, Chief Commercial Officer at Comsol. This is according to Gary Woolley, Chief Commercial Officer at Comsol, who says: "Traditional networks are holding manufacturers back. There is growing local interest in how machine learning and AI can support safer, more efficient operations, enable proactive decision making and improve revenues.

But to get the true value of AI, you need the right infrastructure in place." He says: "Industry 4.0 brings with it a need for networks to handle data-heavy applications like IoT, real-time analytics, and autonomous operations.



Until recently, there wasn't one connectivity service that supported the various use cases equally effectively, so we have seen the emergence of multiple different networks running in the manufacturing environments, with Wi-Fi and fibre playing a part. Traditional networks like Wi-Fi were not designed to handle the demands of Industry 4.0, because they have limited range and are prone to congestion and interference, which creates bottlenecks in scaling operations.

Challenges also occur in control, reliability and scalability." Changing the game Wooley says Private 5G is a game-changing mobile technology that opens up new possibilities for manufacturers: "With an increase in speeds and latency as low as 1 millisecond, it opens up new possibilities for smart factories, where real-time data can drive efficiencies and safety like never before." However, he highlights key differences between consumer grade 5G and Licensed Private 5G: "Private 5G provides distinct advantages in complex, data-heavy environments.

Private 5G is a cellular technology, specifically built for performance, security and mobility in industrial environments. With an edge-based core, it brings computing power closer to the devices and sensors, enabling real-time analytics and..

. Partner.