Three recent deployments – in defence, mining, and manufacturing – illustrate how localized private 5G networks are powering mission-critical operations in Industry 4.0.
In sum – what to know:
Industrial action – private 5G is being proven and put to work across defence, mining, and industrial automation.
Mission critical – secure, localized networks offer new resilience and control for mission-critical operations.
Proving grounds – defence, energy, and enterprise sectors are emerging as 5G’s proving grounds for Industry 4.0.
Still but steadily, private 5G is moving from the lab to the field. A round-up of the latest projects – from a NATO cyber defence hub in Estonia, to an Indian coal mine, to an Industry 4.0 channel deal in the US – reflect that cellular networks are being purpose-built and put to work for industrial control, security, and automation.
In brief:a NATO cyber-defence hub in Estonia has been validating a battlefield-grade private 5G system from Oracle and Druid Software; Northern Coalfields Limited has being doing the same, with a system from Tidal Wave Technologies and Consort Digital, at an open pit coal mine in India; and Hughes Network Systems has bundled a Celona system into a managed service wrap for Industry 4.0 customers in the US.
What connects these disparate efforts is the foundational tech, of course – plus a combined vision about the value of privately-owned and managed 5G systems to deliver deterministic connectivity in critical environments. Increasingly, and as specified in the original standards work, 5G is less about big national networks and more about domain-specific networks built for purpose, owned by users, and operated closer to where value is created.
1 | Private 5G for NATO battlefield R&D – with Oracle, Druid
A NATO cyber defence hub in Tallinn, Estonia, has picked US cloud and database enterprise IT firm Oracle to design and deploy “private 5G networks” for NATO’s research, war gaming, and development initiatives. Ireland-based specialist Druid Software will provide the core network for the project, geared to bring high-end connectivity for “cyber defence exercises that protect critical infrastructure from external threats” – said a press release.
The hub, the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence (CCD COE), supports NATO and its member nations with interdisciplinary cyber defence research, training, and exercises covering technology, strategy, operations, and law. A statement said the CCD COE has been “advancing research on 5G networks” and supports “building secure private networks across the alliance”
Its research has included a pilot of Oracle’s Security Edge Protection Proxy (SEPP), part of its 5G core-network portfolio, deployed by operators to secure 5G interconnect roaming messages. The tests validated the SEPP solution for roaming between mobile networks in NATO member countries. The CCD COE has deployed the software on Druid’s core network (‘Raemis’) over ruggedized edge computing units from Oracle (‘Roving Edge Devices’).
It stated: “This verification will enable Oracle to help NATO safeguard sensitive battlefield and research data and deliver seamless, secure connectivity between allied forces.” Tõnis Saar, director at CCDCOE, explained: “Secure, resilient 5G adds a vital layer to existing communications, while portable, private networks with seamless roaming enable faster, more effective data sharing, keeping NATO forces a step ahead of adversaries.”
The SEPP solution comes with GSMA-recommended firewall capabilities and other security hardening measures. The CCDCOE shares its research outcomes with NATO allies and “like-minded nations” for military use.
2 | An India first, at Amlohri Coal Mine – by Tidal Wave, Consort Digital
Indian private cellular startup Tidal Wave Technologies has extended its work with state-run Coal India, it seems. The firm has deployed a private 5G test system at the Amlohri Coal Mine, operated by Northern Coalfields Limited (NCL), a subsidiary of Coal India. It worked with system integrator Consort Digital on the project, a proof-of-concept (PoC), geared to validate “5G-based mission-critical communications for the first time at a mine in India”.
The setup used Tidal Wave’s private 5G network, which uses an open RAN small cell from UK-based RANsemi, and is typically paired with a core network from Irish specialist Druid Software (see above). The project, billed as the “first pilot project of its kind in India, also uses Consort Digital’s MCX ONE platform, an open standard platform with support for push-to-voice/data/video over public and private broadband (4G, 5G, Wi-Fi) networks.
MCX ONE also integrates narrowband technologies such as TETRA and DMR. Tidal Wave is already working with Coal India, which supplies 80 percent of the total coal production in India and has 430 coal mines around the world. It is unclear (actually) if the MCX ONE deployment is part of previous work for Coal India with Druid Software, using BSNL spectrum, or if Druid Software is involved in the new project with Tidal Wave.
The tests at the Amlohri Coal Mine supported drones, cameras, and environmental sensors from multiple OEMs. Ankit Dixit, chief executive at Tidal Wave, said: “We are proud to partner with Consort Digital to bring advanced 5G-based solutions to critical industries such as mining. The PoC at Amlohri Coal Mine showcases how private 5G networks can deliver the resilience, security, and high performance needed for mission-critical operations.”
3 | Industry 4.0 managed service deal – from Hughes, Celona
Hughes Network Systems, owned by EchoStar, is bundling a network core-and-radio system from Celona as a managed private 5G solution for enterprises. It is targeting industrial sectors such as manufacturing, warehousing, logistics, and energy, plus government operations and public safety. It is another go-to-market deal for Celona, which has distribution arrangements already with NTT Data, TD SYNNEX, and Xantaro, among others.
It is presented as a joint solution, with 24/7 network monitoring and support, for “large or dense” enterprise environments, geared for robotics, video analytics, and connected worker systems, among other use cases. Hughes promises “enterprise-ready design, guaranteed service level agreements, and integration with on-premises and cloud-based business systems – without needing in-house cellular expertise”.
Hughes has established a network operations centre (NOC) to handle network management, SIM provisioning, performance optimization, and threat detection, it said. It is being offered on a service subscription, and with low-maintenance management support, and certified industrial device catalogue – “without significant upfront investment or in-house technical expertise”, said Hughes.
Colleen Caruso, vice president of enterprise managed services at Hughes, said: “Enterprises are under pressure to modernize their operations, adopt automation, and connect more devices than ever before. Traditional Wi-Fi and public networks weren’t designed for that level of complexity… Our goal is to empower our customers to meet today’s operational demands and lead tomorrow’s innovations.”
