Improving Manufacturing with Private Wireless 5G Machine-to-machine Communications and Internet of Things (IoT)

Automation is one of the most important process improvements of the modern era. It promises significant benefits for a variety of industries. One of the most clear-cut and straightforward applications of automation is in enhancing manufacturing.

Manufacturers have been looking for new and innovative ways to trim down and streamline manufacturing processes ever since Henry Ford realized that minimizing the work needed to facilitate assembly would maximize efficiency.

Networked automation built on machine-to-machine communications (M2M) and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies offers the most powerful method to date.

By effectively leveraging networked machine-to-machine communications (M2M) and IoT devices, manufacturers can automate processes to:

Increase operational efficiency to produce more products

Minimize production delays and errors

Enhance personnel safety with advanced tracking and oversight

However, M2M and IoT technologies that can be used to automate manufacturing processes need robust, reliable, high-quality networks.

Low-latency, high-bandwidth 5G is proving to be a better option than traditional wired, Wi-Fi, and LTE networks. By deploying 5G private wireless networks, manufacturers can fully optimize the use of M2M and IoT devices to take advantage of the many benefits networked automation offers.

Automation Enhances Every Aspect of Manufacturing

The automotive industry provides a good example of the value of networked automation in the manufacturing sector. Current vehicle manufacturing facilities are highly sophisticated, software-enabled, and connected. By automating production processes, manufacturers have increased efficiency, reduced errors, and reduced the overhead associated with hiring and training personnel.

With machine-to-machine communications (M2M), IoT, and 5G wireless networks, automotive manufacturers can go one step further. They can introduce a variety of autonomous vehicles and equipment that can support and facilitate complex production processes.

Automated processes encompass tasks like delivering parts precisely when required within the facility. They also involve transporting partially completed items between different factory zones, and even moving defective products off the assembly line to minimize disruptions.

Autonomous vehicles are also sophisticated computers that require significant software and firmware to function at full effectiveness. Automating the installation, testing, and updating of this software occurs over-networked, always-on connections. This setup enables direct communication with the vehicles’ computers, making sure that complex software integration takes place early and with maximum efficiency.

While these process improvements boost production efficiency, they also enhance safety measures. Minimizing risks to personnel on the factory floor and reducing the need for their physical presence improves safety.

High-Quality Networks Needed

There are, however, significant challenges associated with implementing effective networked automation on a manufacturing floor.

While full automation of production can greatly enhance efficiency, it also means the entire process is more vulnerable to disruption. If the network fails at any point, even briefly, production gets delayed until network issues get resolved. And if one part of a fully automated production line is delayed, the entire chain is affected.

Similarly, autonomous vehicles and equipment on the factory floor rely on continuous connectivity to complete programmed tasks efficiently. Without those connections, they’re essentially useless. And depending on their role and the level of interaction needed with floor personnel, when these vehicles aren’t connected, they can create safety risks. Sensors can fail to alert staff in time to avoid collisions or accidents.

Finally, while automating software and firmware uploads to autonomous vehicles streamlines the ongoing maintenance and upgrade process, this is again contingent on having high-bandwidth, low-latency connections. Even brief disruptions can arrest the whole process.

Wired, LTE, and Wi-Fi Solutions Insufficient

Machine-to-machine communications (M2M) and IoT devices, essential for advancing manufacturing, produce and transmit substantial data, demanding extensive bandwidth. As a result, they require high quality, high-capacity networks. Manufacturers have tried to address the need with a combination of wired, LTE, and Wi-Fi networks. However, each of these has limitations that make them less than ideal as the foundation of a fully networked operation.

Wired connections are fast and stable but expensive to install, and once they’re installed, they’re fixed. This fixed nature makes them highly inflexible, which is a significant drawback for manufacturers that want to scale operations up or down. Manufacturers that rely on wired solutions will face expensive rip-and-replace scenarios.

Wi-Fi is a common solution for indoor network deployment and is a staple in offices and homes. But while Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi 6/6E do offer some built-in security features, they have fewer security features than LTE and 5G networks. And while network security is important in homes and offices, it’s absolutely crucial in manufacturing operations. Compromises affect operations and cause significant costs. They also expose sensitive, business-critical data to malicious actors.

Finally, LTE solutions offer both the flexibility and security that manufacturing operations need, which is why private LTE has become more common. However, while LTE offers good speed, throughput, bandwidth, and latency, it pales in comparison to the capabilities of 5G. The latest generation of wireless networking technology offers considerably greater bandwidth and vastly lower latency, two crucial elements needed for effective automation.

iBwave Enables Efficient Private Wireless 5G Deployment

Of course, networked automation, particularly in manufacturing settings, requires effective and comprehensive network design. Manufacturing floors are complex environments with numerous obstacles and sources of signal interference. Inadequately designed networks may suffer from areas of poor connectivity or even dead zones, which can significantly reduce the value of deploying automation. And the mix of indoor and outdoor environments in many manufacturing settings creates further challenges to maintaining high-quality, continuous connectivity.

Without a precise and comprehensive design, a private 5G network won’t be able to overcome the challenges of wireless network deployment in manufacturing settings. A poorly designed network will either be under-designed and fail to deliver the benefits 5G offers or overdesigned, adding unnecessary costs.

iBwave Private Networks delivers the simplest and most reliable solution for planning, designing, and deploying private, high-performance 5G networks for manufacturing settings.

Large environment modeling enables network designers to capture the full requirements of a site. 5G/HetNet densification enables designers to consider both outdoor and indoor coverage with one tool, leveraging existing design asset files without costly file migrations. Advanced and powerful features, such as the Fast Ray Tracing Prediction Engine, Prediction Calibration, Inclined Surface Modeling, and Attenuation by Frequency, ensure the network that is designed functions exactly as intended. Plus, cloud connectivity and seamless integration with iBwave Mobile Survey ensures that iBwave can meet all private network needs for any manufacturing operation, present and future, ensuring the network can scale with the operation as needed.

Designing a private network for your manufacturing operations?

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To learn more about design considerations in private networks for manufacturing, watch our on-demand webinar: https://bit.ly/3X5zXK2

Building a Private Network: Step by Step

In today’s digitally driven world, establishing a private network is a strategic move for many enterprises. The demand for seamless, secure, and reliable connectivity has led organizations to explore the benefits of owning and controlling their network infrastructure. This comprehensive guide will take you through the process of building a private network, emphasizing the significance of each step.

Understanding Private Networks

Before delving into the steps of building a private network, let’s clarify what exactly a private network entails. A private network, in the realm of wireless communication, is an exclusive network infrastructure owned, operated, and managed by a single entity, typically an organization or enterprise. These networks differ significantly from public networks like Wi-Fi hotspots or cellular networks.

Why Enterprises Choose Private Networks

Enhanced Security: Security is paramount in the digital age. Private networks offer a heightened level of security by encrypting data transmission, mitigating the risks of unauthorized access and data breaches.
Reliable Connectivity: Private networks allow organizations to maintain control over network traffic, ensuring consistent, reliable connectivity even in high-demand scenarios.
Low Latency: For applications requiring minimal delay, such as real-time video conferencing and industrial automation, private networks can be optimized for low-latency communication.
Customization and Control: With private networks, enterprises enjoy complete control over network design, configuration, and management, enabling tailor-made solutions to meet specific needs.

Read about the importance of Private 5G for Enterprises in our blog!

Key Components for Effective Deployment

Successful deployments of private networks demand meticulous planning and execution. Essential components and considerations include:

Spectrum Allocation: Allocate the appropriate frequency spectrum to your private network to prevent interference and maximize performance.
Infrastructure Investment: Invest in high-quality network equipment, including access points, switches, and routers, to support your network’s capacity and coverage requirements.
Security Measures: Implement robust security protocols, such as firewalls, intrusion detection systems, and encryption, to safeguard your network from potential threats.
Scalability: Design a network that can easily accommodate future growth, ensuring that it remains adaptable and cost-effective.

Main Use Cases and Verticals

Private networks find applications across various industries and verticals:

Mining: Private networks in mining optimize operations, providing real-time data, safety, and control in remote and rugged environments.
Manufacturing: In manufacturing, private networks support automation, process efficiency, and quality control, ensuring seamless production processes.
Energy: Private networks in the energy sector enhance grid management, enable smart meters, and bolster renewable energy integration.
Oil & Gas: In the oil & gas industry, private networks ensure secure communications, asset tracking, and monitoring in remote and hazardous locations.
Education: Educational institutions benefit from private networks by delivering high-speed internet access and supporting e-learning initiatives.
Healthcare: Private networks in healthcare enable secure patient data management, telemedicine, and real-time communication among healthcare professionals.
Transportation & Logistics: The logistics and transport industry is transforming as a result of a wide variety of industry trends and challenges. These drive demand for 5G both directly and indirectly.

Step-by-Step Guide to Building a Private Network

1. Site Survey: The Foundation

A site survey is pivotal for private network success. It involves a comprehensive assessment of the physical environment, including aspects like building layout, materials used, and potential sources of interference. The data collected during this critical phase forms the bedrock upon which the entire network deployment rests. It ensures that subsequent design decisions are well-informed, guaranteeing that the network meets the exacting requirements for both coverage and performance.

2. Evaluation/Feasibility: Setting Realistic Expectations

Before taking the leap into network deployment, it’s essential to conduct a feasibility study. This study is a reality check for your private network project. It takes into account various factors, including budget constraints, regulatory requirements, and the availability of skilled personnel. By conducting this in-depth analysis, you can make informed decisions and set realistic expectations for your project’s scope and timeline.

3. Network Design: The Heart of the Project

The network design phase is where the magic happens. It’s the heart of your project, where you define the architecture, topology, and capacity of your private network. During this critical phase, the careful placement of access points, antennas, and other network components is meticulously planned. The goal is to ensure not only optimal coverage but also peak performance. A well-thought-out network design sets the stage for achieving your connectivity goals and lays the foundation for seamless network operations.

4. Cost Calculation: A Clear Budget

Budgeting is a crucial aspect of private network deployment. It’s essential to calculate the total cost of ownership (TCO) accurately. This includes accounting for equipment costs, installation expenses, ongoing maintenance, and operational costs. Having a well-defined budget is not just about financial planning; it’s about securing the necessary funding and allocating resources effectively. It ensures that your private network project remains on track, both financially and operationally.

5. Network Deployment: Turning Plans into Reality

After meticulous planning, it’s time to turn your network design into a tangible reality. During the deployment phase, you’ll install and configure network equipment as per the design plan. This is the hands-on phase where the blueprint comes to life. It’s imperative that all components function correctly, and the network meets the specified performance criteria. Effective network deployment is the bridge that connects planning to real-world functionality.

6. Testing: Ensuring Reliability

Comprehensive testing is the litmus test for your private network. It’s not enough to have a network; you must ensure it performs flawlessly. Testing covers various aspects, including coverage, capacity, and reliability under different conditions. It’s during this phase that any issues are identified and addressed promptly. Thorough testing guarantees that your network is not just functional but reliable and capable of meeting the demands placed upon it.

7. Monitoring and Maintenance: Sustaining Excellence

Network deployment is not the end; it’s a continuous journey. Once your private network is operational, it’s crucial to establish a routine for monitoring and maintenance. Regularly monitoring network performance, addressing issues promptly, and applying updates and security patches are all part of sustaining a secure and reliable network. This ongoing vigilance ensures that your network remains in peak condition, delivering the excellence it was designed for.

Leveraging iBwave for Network Excellence

As you embark on the journey of building a private network, consider the invaluable support provided by iBwave, a leading expert in wireless network survey and design. iBwave offers high-quality tools and software that simplify the network design and survey process, elevating the accuracy and efficiency of your network deployment.

By utilizing iBwave’s solutions, you can ensure that your private network is designed and implemented to the highest standards, bolstering your confidence in its connectivity capabilities. You can either use iBwave Private Networks to seamlessly design your Private LTE, 5G and Wi-Fi Networks or iBwave Design for designing more complex venues! With iBwave, you get everything you need to plan and deliver reliable indoor and outdoor campus private networks under one roof. Learn more about our solutions here!

Conclusion

Building a private network demands meticulous planning and execution, with each step playing a pivotal role in its success. Private networks offer enhanced security, reliability, low latency, and customization, making them an ideal choice for various industries and applications. Whether you operate in manufacturing, healthcare, education, utilities, or any other sector, a well-designed private network can revolutionize your connectivity capabilities, supporting your enterprise’s growth.

Remember that iBwave’s advanced tools and software significantly streamline the network design and survey process, ensuring the highest quality results for your private network deployment. Armed with the right approach and the right tools, your private network will become a formidable asset, providing the connectivity essential for thriving in today’s digital age.
Remember that iBwave’s advanced tools and software significantly streamline the network design and survey process, ensuring the highest quality results for your private network deployment. Armed with the right approach and the right tools, your private network will become a formidable asset, providing the connectivity essential for thriving in today’s digital age.

Visit our blog page to learn more about wireless networks and how to design them efficiently!

What are the International Differences in Private Networks?

Though private 4G/LTE and 5G deployments are happening around the world, there are substantial differences in band availability by region. This aligns with differences in how different geographies make use of private networks. For example, Chile and Australia rely on private networks to support mining operations in remote areas. Other countries see more deployment in ports and airports, while Germany is focused on manufacturing use cases.

As a result, there is a highly fragmented international private network ecosystem. This is beginning to change, as much of this fragmentation is simply a characteristic of early markets. As more private deployments occur, much of this fragmentation should begin to subside.

But it will be an ongoing process. In the meantime, network designers in all regions need design software with databases that support the bands available in their geography.

Knowing Local Frequency Band Availability Is Crucial

It is crucial for enterprises looking to deploy a private network, whether 4G/LTE or 5G, to know which bands are available in their country. This is because the available bands will determine both hardware and software requirements.

On the hardware side, Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) are likely to only have equipment capable of supporting the locally available bands. An enterprise that attempts to deploy a private network in an alternate band is probably going to have to pay significantly more for the hardware, as equipment like antennas, amplifiers, or filters won’t be available from local OEMs.

Localized Spectrum Availability

The table below provides a few examples of locally licensed spectrum availability by geography:

Country	Spectrum bands	Licensing model
U.S.	3.55-3.7 GHz	Tiered licensing and dynamic access via automated SAS (Spectrum Access System) providers. Priority Access Licenses were auctioned on a county level basis. General Authorized Access is widely usable.
Germany	3.7-3.8 GHz	Reserved for localized private network licensing, either with 4G or 5G equipment. Licensees can request rights for specific locations from the national regulator – typically for campus-sized facilities.
France	2.6 GHz 3.8-4.2 GHz	40 MHz section of the 2.6 GHz band has been made available for critical communications and industrial broadband use. New use of local licenses in Band 77 is evolving and may be extended.
UK	3.8-4.2 GHz 1.8 GHz 2.3 GHz	The 3.8-4.2 GHz band is available for local 5G use, subject to protecting incumbent licensees. There are also small allocations at 1.8 GHz and 2.3 GHz. Another class of licenses is available for agreed secondary reuse of existing MNO bands in specific locations where they are unused.
Japan	4.6-4.9 GHz	Local 5G licenses.
Australia	1.8 GHz	30 MHz set aside for enterprise and community groups.
Finland	2.3 GHz 26 GHz	Local licenses for industrial networks and other use cases.
Chile	2.6 GHz	Local networks are widely used for mining. Also, the participation of MNOs allows the use of national-licensed bands.
Denmark	3.7 GHz	Leasing from MNOs is possible, albeit rare.
Canada	Various bands possible or under consultation	Remote areas have industrial SPs with various licenses around 700-950 MHz, but Canada also considering CBRS-type models.
Taiwan	4.8 GHz
China	Various bands with MNO or government permission	Common participation of China Mobile and other MNOs in industrial projects, with government support on spectrum availability.

Source: Disruptive Analysis

It’s also worth noting that there are signs band availability will be changing as early as 2023/2024, as a result of:

India: Ongoing discussion and debate between the telecommunications industry, government, and other stakeholders over rules and spectrum allocation for private 5G (P5G)

Europe: Talks of opening bands from 3.8-4.2 GHz, as well as plans to update the European Union’s 5G action plan for the upcoming digital decade

China: Signs of direct allocation increasing, particularly in the 6 GHz band, where previously allocation has been dominated by Mobile Network Operators (MNOs)

Canada: Examining 3.0-4.0 GHz range availability, though it lacks an equivalent to the U.S.’s Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS)

Middle East: Looking at bands in the 4.0-4.2 GHz range, with more movement anticipated in 2023 (including the UAE and Saudi Arabia)

South Korea: Increasing its emphasis on private 5G, including solutions in the 4.7 GHz range and into mmWave at 28 GHz (Samsung aims to be a major participant globally and has support from the government, including with P5G)

Choose the Right Design Software

In this changing environment, network designers will need equipment that operates at the correct frequencies, but they will also need design software capable of simplifying designs for any of those frequencies. As such, when choosing network design software, it’s important to consider the band allocation available in the country that the network, or networks, are ultimately going to be in. Particularly for multinational enterprises, software that supports a broad variety of hardware built for different network frequencies will be key to ensuring efficient and effective network design.

Wi-Fi 6E/7 and Global Allocation Variations:

Another area of difference around the world is in the allocation of the 6 GHz band for unlicensed use, and especially for Wi-Fi 6E/7. Some countries, including the U.S., Canada, and Brazil, have released the entire band spectrum, while others have only allocated part of it. Throughout 2023 and into 2024, we will also see the launch of automated frequency coordination (AFC) for outdoor use, which will help ensure non-interference of devices operating in the 6 GHz spectrum.

While Wi-Fi and private 4G/5G are broadly complementary in use cases, there is some overlap and substitution: the same will be true for Wi-Fi 6E/7 and private 6G. Differing allocations by country on 6 GHz may drive medium-term differences, and the outcome of the World Radiocommunication Congress at the end of 2023 is one to watch closely.

iBwave Supports Private Network Deployments Globally

iBwave enables the design of wireless networks in most bands for deployments practically anywhere with no issues. Our solution allows you to design wireless networks for a variety of use cases, from a factory in Ohio to an office in Japan.

In addition, we’ve added frequency bands for Europe, APAC and Latin America to the existing CBRS and 3.5-3.7 GHz bands in the U.S. and Canada in iBwave Private Networks software. With our easy-to-use solution, you can accelerate the design of private LTE/5G and Wi-Fi networks and efficiently deliver the most reliable networks that enterprises can rely on. Future releases will add more bands to our Private Networks software to support more countries and regions.

Frequency Calculator in iBwave Private Networks

Our solutions include a suite of powerful features that make it easy for designers to:

Design from a database of vendor-modeled network components, including small cells, aps, cables, controllers, routers, and more

Calibrate prediction with survey results

Run key project reports

Model venues in advanced 3D with AutoCAD import

With a complete database of the leading OEM equipment available in most regions, iBwave delivers the most reliable solution for planning, designing, and delivering private, high-performance, 4G/LTE and 5G networks anywhere in the world. Advanced and powerful features such as the Fast Ray Tracing Prediction Engine, Prediction Calibration, Inclined Surface Modeling, and Attenuation by Frequency ensure the network you design functions exactly as intended.

Plus, cloud connectivity via iBwave Unity — our network and project management solution —keeps your entire company aligned and ensures seamless integration between all iBwave solutions. And advanced report generation features ensure that iBwave can meet all your present and future network needs.

For more information, take a look at the full breakdown of our wireless network design solutions — iBwave Design and iBwave Private Networks.

And for more insights into the changing landscape for private networks, download our e-book!