Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. and Siemens have set up a joint proof-of-concept project at the Siemens Automotive Test Center in Nuremberg, Germany, to demonstrate the first private 5G standalone (SA) network in a real industrial environment using the 3.7-3.8 GHz band. Qualcomm Technologies is providing the 5G test network and 5G industrial test devices that run on their foundational 5G technologies, and Siemens is supplying industrial end-devices like automated guided vehicles (AGV).
The 5G private standalone network proof-of-concept at the Siemens Automotive Test Center enables Siemens and Qualcomm Technologies to test technologies, solve problems, and come up with solutions for the future of private wireless applications in industrial settings. Qualcomm Technologies set up 5G industrial test devices along with a 5G standalone test network that includes a 5G core network and 5G base station with a remote radio head. Siemens provided the actual industrial setup including Simatic control systems and IO devices.
This project will provide invaluable real-world learnings that both companies can apply to future deployments and marks an important key milestone as 5G moves into industrial automation. Combining 5G connectivity capabilities of Qualcomm with Siemens’ deep industry know-how will help to deploy technologies, refine solutions, and work to make the smart industrial future a reality.
Industrial 5G is the gateway to an all-encompassing, wireless network for production, maintenance, and logistics. High data rates, ultra-reliable transmission, and extremely low latencies will allow significant increases in efficiency and flexibility in industrial added value. This collaboration with Qualcomm Technologies can drive forward the development and technical implementation of private 5G networks in the industrial sector.
In the course of this joint research effort at the Siemens Automotive Test Center, currently available industrial technologies such as OPC UA and Profinet will be tested and evaluated - technologies that require a 5G private network in order to work. In Germany, private networks can use the local broadband spectrum from 3.7-3.8 GHz, which has been reserved for industrial usage in local deployments. These private networks allow industrial sites to control and manage their own networks as they see fit, allowing for high reliability, low latency, and the ability to reconfigure the network to suit changing needs while at the same time keeping data onsite for added security.
Qualcomm Technologies and Siemens have a longstanding technical collaboration focused on cooperation in wireless technologies. This has resulted in over 15 years of success and the development of Siemens’ unique Scalance portfolio of industrial wireless products. With Qualcomm Technologies’ leading expertise in 5G technologies, this collaboration continues to evolve- leading into the first 5G private standalone network in an industrial environment using the 3.7-3.8 GHz band. This allows solutions to be tested and developed which the industry will be able to use with the upcoming Release 16 of the 5G standard.
