5G network: after the allocation of frequencies to operators, trials in major cities have begun: this is an emerging technology that is set to change the factory of the future.
In the world of industry, emerging technologies are a topic of strategic interest to companies, because the road to innovation also passes through here. The developments we will see in the coming years will have positive impacts on companies’ production processes, optimizing time and improving efficiency .
Starting this month in our blog we will try to outline some technologies to keep an eye on, because in a complex world it is important to know its changes in order to know how to evolve and adapt.
THE 5G
We wanted to start with 5G, which we have heard a lot about in recent months, first with the allocation of frequencies to operators, and more recently with trials in some major cities, such as Milan, Bologna, Turin, Rome and Naples.
Although it will take a few years for this technology to come full circle, 2019 is definitely the year to start.
5G is the fifth-generation network for mobile connections that can enable very high-speed, more powerful connections with lower latency times. To get an idea, it can count on speeds of 100 megabits per second in download and 50 in upload with a maximum latency of 4 milliseconds, compared with 20 for current LTE technology.
Another benefit will be the ability to network 100 times more devices than at present, which will have positive industrial repercussions in the Internet of Things and Industrial Internet Of Things. Today, in fact, more and more devices are connected, and therefore this technology will be the appropriate answer for their management.
The Industrial Internet Of Things may be combined with augmented reality, machine learning and artificial intelligence to make future manufacturing faster, cheaper and safer.
APPLICATIONS
Specifically, what are the applications of this emerging technology?
It is difficult to compile an exhaustive list, but a few examples related to everyday life are enough to understand the potential.
For example, think of the ICT sector, where data transmission costs will be lowered due to 40 times the network capacity of 4G. Or to that of Public Administration, where the ability to predict natural disasters may be increased. If we move into the field of Health, in the future there will be quite a few doctors who will be able to remotely monitor the status of their patients and predict any problems.
Again, in education, knowledge will be even easier to share and accessible, even to students with difficulties. And in the world of art and entertainment, multimedia formats, such as 3D or augmented reality video, will be accessed quickly and easily.
In the electrical sector, where EiQ Industrial is also involved in the production of switchboards, it will be possible to monitor consumption in real time and avoid waste.
APPLICATIONS IN THE MANUFACTURING SECTOR
The Third Generation Partnership Project, an umbrella body for organizations developing telecommunications standards, has identified 6 areas of application for 5G in the industry:
- factory automation;
- process automation;
- Development of human-machine interfaces;
- Logistics and warehouse management;
- Monitoring of processes and assets;
- Sensor-based maintenance and data analysis.
All these aspects are intertwined with other technologies, such as the control of moving machinery, communication between different industrial control equipment, and mobile control panels that can be used to configure, monitor, and maintain machinery, robots, and entire production lines.
The industry of the future with the 5G network will be based on flexibility and versatility in production and logistics, as well as safety, resource optimization and increased quality.
