Currently, 5G is not synonymous with commercial networks operated by carriers. When discussing 5G, we typically mention that it supports three basic types of communication: enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), massive machine-type communication (mMTC), and ultra-reliable low-latency communication (URLLC). It is precisely the various advantages of these three communication types that have fueled people's imaginations about the industrial applications of 5G.
5G networks within factories: equipment data communication, large-scale data transmission, etc.
With the development of the Industrial Internet, more and more workshop equipment, such as machine tools, robots, and AGVs, are being connected to the factory intranet. Wired networks, especially for mobile devices like AGVs, are insufficient to meet the communication needs of these devices, leading to increasingly higher demands for flexibility and bandwidth within the factory intranet. Traditional wired factory networks offer high reliability and bandwidth but lack flexibility, while wireless networks offer greater flexibility but have limitations in reliability, coverage, and the number of connected devices. 5G, combining flexibility, high bandwidth, and multi-terminal access, has become a new option for supporting equipment access and communication within factories.
Current 5G application pilots primarily leverage the high bandwidth and large number of connected devices of 5G to reduce latency and improve reliability, replacing current WiFi-based wireless communication solutions. The main problems with WiFi for device communication are its susceptibility to interference due to its close proximity to 4G network frequency bands, insufficient coverage, and limited access capabilities. The advantages of 5G over WiFi are mainly faster transmission speeds, lower latency, support for more simultaneous devices, and stronger resistance to interference. The speed improvement of 5G compared to WiFi is quite significant.
In the 5G era, connectors will break through the 7 billion population ceiling, expanding to the entire physical world, with the number of connections increasing by at least 2-3 orders of magnitude. The key businesses empowered by connectivity will also expand from consumer to industrial sectors, covering various scenarios such as manufacturing, connected vehicles, green cities, and green energy. Facing the needs of industrial development, Hightopo believes that the integration of industry and the internet cannot be separated from the support of data visualization. The essence of the Industrial Internet is to achieve interconnectivity between machines, relying on the extracted and generated data to better control machine operation. This can make work twice as efficient. Hightopo has been diligently exploring the field of data visualization, constantly pursuing the belief of unlocking the potential value of data for enterprises or institutions, and providing accurate data support for emergency decision-making.
Utilizing data collected through the Internet of Things (IoT) and sensors, this system enables real-time monitoring and analysis of industrial equipment and network cables. Employing a 3D visualization system, it provides a more realistic view of the equipment, making it easier for users to understand and improving equipment identification. Users can gain a comprehensive understanding of the entire system while also observing specific details. It balances the overall picture with detailed analysis, offering a rich interactive experience. Furthermore, with the support of mature 5G technology, its bandwidth, several times greater than 4G, and its transmission speed, hundreds of times faster than 4G, allows Hightopo 's HT For Web lightweight visualization to achieve remote visual monitoring on browsers or mobile devices.
5G wide area networks enable remote control of equipment and large-scale data transmission. For some work vehicles and aircraft operating in vast outdoor environments, due to hazardous conditions and remote work areas, there is a certain demand for remote control, and some remote control functions have been initially implemented. However, these remote controllers either use short-range communication methods, limiting the scenarios, or use wide-area wireless networks, but the data transmission capacity is limited. In vast scenarios, such as large mines, only wide area networks can be used, but 4G real-time driving video transmission latency is significant, preventing the vehicle's operating speed from being increased and hindering the effective application of remote control.
Besides remote control, vehicles and drones also require the transmission of operational information during operation. With the development of communication networks, the information transmitted by vehicles has continuously improved, from basic GPS information in the 2G era to various operational parameters in the 3G era, and video in the 4G era. 5G's high-bandwidth network, with its lower latency and real-time transmission of high-definition video, combined with real-time cloud analysis and result feedback, can form a series of real-time analysis and control applications.
As a technology designed for carrier networks, 5G networks are naturally intended to build a huge public network. However, this network is significantly different from the internal network needs of daily industrial enterprises. Different businesses within a factory require different networks. More importantly, factory networks are generally local area networks, and for security reasons, many seek physical isolation from the public network.
In summary: In which scenarios will 5G be prioritized for application?
In the short term, there are roughly four scenarios where 5G is most suitable for priority application:
1. In typical factory workshops, 5G is used for mobile devices such as AGVs.
2. In typical factory workshops, 5G is used for large-scale data transmission and real-time background analysis.
3. In large, enclosed industrial sites such as ports and mines, 5G is used for remote control of equipment operations.
4. In open environments such as gas pipelines, power transmission lines, and rivers, 5G enables remote inspection and monitoring.
With the support of 5G and the Internet of Things, all infrastructure, production equipment, and various electronic products in industries will be connected, creating more space for innovation and bringing tremendous market opportunities to traditional industries. These industries are enormous, each comparable to the consumer sector. Industry and urban management are both trillion-dollar industries, the logistics industry is worth 20 trillion, and the energy sector is also worth over a trillion.
Looking at the development of communications, 5G represents an international revolution and is a crucial underlying infrastructure supporting industrial innovation over the next five years. In the industrial sector, there are broadly three directions for innovation: enterprise digitalization and networking; data asset management to drive capacity upgrades; and industrial ecosystem innovation to vertically transform the efficiency of different links in the industrial chain, achieving interconnected and efficient collaboration between upstream and downstream industries.
