Nokia is working with Industry 4.0 giant Rockwell Automation to test private 5G in standalone (SA) mode in the 3.55-3.7 GHz CBRS band in the US. Specifically, they are looking at private 5G for control and automation of industrial assets using industrial Ethernet (EtherNet/IP) protocols. The work gets into time-sensitive networking (TSN) capabilities, as delivered over fixed networks via such level-two industrial data exchange protocols, and as long-promised in ultra-reliable low-latency (URLLC) versions of the wireless 5G standard in 3GPP releases 17 and 18.
As well (see below), Nokia is working with RUCKUS Networks to deliver fibre and Wi-Fi in a single joint-solution for in-building and campus-wide broadband connectivity.
Nokia has issued a blog post about the Rockwell partnership, to say its private wireless and edge computing solutions have provided a connectivity platform for the US firm’s industrial automation solutions at a new testbed, and the two firms have “successfully validated” low latency and jitter in the setup, supporting EtherNet/IP standard and safety I/O communications. The collaboration does away with the kind of “special tuning or configuration” that has been typically required until now to get layer-two industrial protocols to work over private 5G. “Everything worked out-of-the-box,” said the blog.
Although there is no mention of commercial go-to-market tactics, the nature of the collaboration is significant for high-end Industry 4.0 to run on private 5G. In the end, it has been something of a surprise, probably reflective of the broadband focus of private 4G/5G networks in CBRS spectrum in the US so far, that Rockwell has not been quicker to make a noise about private cellular. In the most part, it might be noted that this is Nokia’s ‘noise’; but Rockwell has hosted the experiment and signed off the blog, which is co-authored by the US firm.
The Rockwell testbed comprises Nokia baseband units and radio (RAN) units, as well as its MX Industrial Edge (MXIE) server, hooked-up to Rockwell’s own automation solutions. The blog states: “This setup supports multiple automation devices behind a single wireless router, without any of the special tunnelling or extra equipment that is required for other industrial Ethernet protocols. The performance observed with CBRS is consistent with results using other licensed sub-6 GHz bands as used in other countries, making these findings “globally applicable”, the pair said.
They talk about industrial support in CBRS for “emerging technologies like industrial IoT, augmented reality (AR), and artificial intelligence (AI)”, and list a bunch of ‘use cases’, including: ‘edge-to-cloud connectivity’ for AI and ML applications; connected worker applications like analytics, digital twins, and AR; mobile asset applications for automated guided vehicles (AGVs) and autonomous mobile robots (AMRs), and ‘untethered stationary industrial assets’ just by doing-away with cables and making operations wireless.
None of which actually sound like TSN-URLLC dependent apps for mission-critical comms; but the wider implication of the experiments, and of Rockwell’s involvement, are clear. The blog outlines the value of the CBRS provision in the US, providing 150 MHz of “lightly licensed” spectrum for use with private LTE and 5G networks, which can be requested in 10 MHz increments at no cost, or purchased in 20 MHz localised chunks via Priority Access Licenses (PALs). “Private 5G is ready for industrial use today, with an increasing number of customers showing trust in 5G,” they write.
They also talk about the value of 5G SA in edge setups versus traditional industrial Wi-Fi, citing 10-times wider coverage, indoors and outdoors, plus SIM-based authentication, and easy mobile device handover. The blog explains: “5G SA networks operate without a legacy LTE network, reducing costs and complexity while providing faster connections. As a result, using 5G for all network traffic (control plus user data) greatly reduces initial connection and handover times.”
They also include an illustration of an untethered stationary industrial asset, such as an AGV or AMR, on a private 5G network (see below), comprising “one area controller and two distributed areas representing skids, machines or equipment”, with the RAN in CBRS band n48 spectrum, attached to a baseband unit (BBU), two radio units (RUs), a 5G core network (on the MXIE edge server), and a couple of 5G SA routers.
Separately, the Finnish vendor has said it has joined with RUCKUS Networks, owned by CommScope, to integrate fibre and Wi-Fi in a single solution for in-building and campus-wide broadband connectivity. The new product is “uniquely tailored to the needs of diverse industry verticals”, including multi-dwelling unit (MDU; residential apartment block) properties, offices, large venues, hospitality venues, medical facilities, and other enterprise segments, they said.
The hybrid fibre and Wi-Fi solution, combining Nokia’s optical LAN with RUCKUS Network’s enterprise Wi-Fi and switching solutions, can be deployed by sundry connectivity providers, including mobile operators, cable operators, and other local-area network providers. RUCKUS Networks, already sells to Marriott, Hyatt, Changi Airport, and the US federal government, among 1,000-odd enterprise customers, according to a press statement.
They declared: “Fibre is a game changer for campus and in-building connectivity due to its ability to offer future-proof capacity while significantly reducing power consumption and total cost of ownership. In addition to providing a single network for all services, it is essential to connect Wi-Fi access points. The combination of fibre and Wi-Fi delivers robust and scalable connectivity across mobility, IoT, and digital transformation initiatives.”
Bart Giordano, president of networking security solutions at CommScope, said: “The partnership… will change the economics for in-campus connectivity solutions for enterprise and vertical segments. As a single solution, we can now provide everything needed to quickly establish a LAN that can deliver fast, reliable, and secure broadband services. It will also allow us to future-proof networks and ensure the next generation of value-added services can be delivered easily.”
Sandy Motley, president of fixed networks at Nokia, said: “Fibre is a fantastic technology with a wide range of benefits. As an optical LAN, it can reduce energy costs by 40 percent and TCO by as much as 50 percent… We are creating a campus connectivity solution that will allow enterprises to grow their business, reduce their costs, and be more sustainable.”
