A key promise associated with the fifth generation of mobile communication networks (5G) is the expansion of its scope beyond individual human end users towards an integrated communication system, which also provides wireless connectivity to new vertical applications driven by industries such as manufacturing, automotive, health or agriculture. Sparked by this promise, the last years have seen a surge in research and development activities targeting 5G technologies around the globe. With 3GPP Release 15 finished in mid-2018, the first commercial deployments of 5G networks are being rolled out at the moment.
Meanwhile, the ongoing proliferation of information and communication technologies (ICT) into industrial production is regarded today as a new stage in the industrial revolution, commonly termed as “Industry 4.0”. Future Smart Factories envisioned in that context will leverage Industry 4.0 technology to increase flexibility and efficiency of the manufacturing processes. This will enable more demand-oriented manufacturing with reduced lot sizes and more product variants while simultaneously improving quality control and cost efficiency. Wireless communication technology and especially 5G is widely regarded as a key enabler for Industry 4.0.
The use cases for wireless communications introduced by Industry 4.0 applications pose new technology requirements for individual KPIs such as latency, packet delivery jitter, reliability or achievable throughput but also regarding the systems dependability, i.e. the ability to make guarantees for deterministic behaviour. These requirements are typically quite distinct from those that have traditionally guided the design and deployment of public land mobile networks, especially for mobile broadband use cases. While 5G technologies such as network slicing may accommodate industrial applications in public networks, the generational leap offers the opportunity to not only re-architect the network, but also operator and deployment models. Private 5G Networks, operating locally and highly optimized towards specific applications, are envisioned by the 5G CONNI partners to be an important component in helping both 5G and Industry 4.0 deliver on their promises.
The 5G CONNI project brings together major players in ICT and Industry 4.0 from Europe and Taiwan with the joint vision of paving the way for industrial 5G applications and accelerating deployments. Its overall objective is to demonstrate 5G radio, network and cloud technologies as enablers for future Smart Factories by integrating private local 5G networks into a multi-site end-to-end industrial communication testbed.
In pursuit of this objective, 5G CONNI will
- Realize at least two selected industrial 5G use cases at interconnected real-world trial sites in Europe and Taiwan
- Conduct measurements and develop tools for application specific coverage prediction and network planning with focus on indoor industrial environments
- Investigate key enabling technologies for industrial applications with focus on mobile edge computing and URLLC communication
- Provide input to regulatory bodies to facilitate realization of the developed operator models
- Develop methodologies for and conduct end-to-end 5G system verification with focus on interoperability and use case specific KPIs (e.g. latency, reliability)
- Foster the collaboration of European and Taiwanese key players from both communications and production industries allowing them to leverage synergies and thus realize an increased impact on internationally harmonized regulation and standardization, creating better commercialization opportunities
