Chicago-based carrier UScellular, the fourth biggest operator in the US, has installed a private 5G network at a new Industry 4.0 customer lab in Ohio belonging to Rockwell Automation. Their focus is to integrate, explore, and expand operational technology (OT) use cases on incoming private 5G technology. There is no word in a press statement about network equipment suppliers, nor of spectrum usage.
But UScellular said the new Connected Enterprise Lab, in Mayfield Heights, Ohio, represents a strategic shift for the company, as it moves “from a more historical public service provider to working with private major global manufacturing companies”. Rockwell Automation, which dominates the national OT scene for industrial automation technologies, wants customers to “interact and experiment” with 5G in its “digital lab experience”.
The press statement made a point that Rockwell Automation will look at how private 5G is “integrated into existing network architectures” in support of “highly available control systems”. It said “these Industry 4.0 hybrid networks” already “deliver a rapid return on investment” for “operations on the plant or manufacturing floor”. The lab will simulate “real-world settings” and “prove out… advanced technologies using low-latency 5G”.
Rockwell Automation will look to demo “communication, monitoring, and control of complex automated processes such as conveyors, temperature control, robot cells, and many other industrial machines”, said the statement. Initial use cases will focus on manufacturing, distribution, and warehousing via various Industry 4.0 and IoT tech – including “sensors, machine learning, artificial intelligence, AR/VR, and autonomous robotics”.
Kim Kerr, senior vice president, enterprise sales and operations at UScellular, said: “The future of Industry 4.0 and supply chain management will increasingly involve digital technologies and solutions designed to transform the manufacturing industry by providing an integrated experience between public and private cellular networks.”
Dan DeYoung, global vice president product management and PMO at Rockwell Automation, said: “UScellular and [its] private cellular network expertise will help Rockwell Automation in our journey to deliver the latest in advanced networking technology to our customers. Together, we’re not just addressing current market needs but delivering a best-of-both-worlds technology landscape that will shape the future of industrial and IoT networking.”
