Nokia has announced it has deployed a private 5G standalone wireless network for Volkswagen at the car maker’s main plant in Wolfsburg, Germany. The pilot project for Nokia’s industrial-grade wireless will see Volkswagen test the latest 5G technology, with the ambition of meeting the demanding requirements of vehicle production, and boost efficiencies. The private campus network uses the Nokia Digital Automation Cloud (DAC) solution to provide reliable, secure, real-time connectivity and enable Volkswagen to trial new smart factory use cases.
Intelligent networking
Deployment of Nokia DAC will enable reliable high-bandwidth and low-latency connectivity for sensors, machines, vehicles and other equipment. Current use-cases being tested by Volkswagen include wireless upload of data to manufactured vehicles and intelligent networking of robots and wireless assembly tools.
"Great potential for smart factories in the not-so-distant future."
Dr.-Ing. Klaus-Dieter Tuchs, Volkswagen.
“Predictable wireless performance and the real-time capabilities of 5G have great potential for smart factories in the not-so-distant future. With this pilot deployment, we are exploring the possibilities 5G has to offer and are building our expertise in operating and using 5G technology in an industrial context,” said Dr.-Ing. Klaus-Dieter Tuchs, network planning at Volkswagen.
3.7-3.8 GHz band
Deployment of Nokia DAC offers reliable high-bandwidth and low-latency connectivity for sensors, machines, vehicles and other equipment. The industrial-grade private 5G wireless network covers the production development centre and pilot hall at the Wolfsburg plant. It allows Volkswagen to test whether the 5G technology meets the demanding requirements of vehicle production with the goal to increase efficiency and flexibility in series production of the future.
The deployment ensures that all data remains on the campus, processed at the network edge in real time, giving Volkswagen full control. The network is operating in the dedicated 3.7-3.8 GHz band for local private wireless networks, that Volkswagen applied for and was allocated by the Federal Network Agency.
"Deploying private wireless to explore and develop its potential in manufacturing."
Chris Johnson, Nokia.
“Nokia is a worldwide leader in private wireless technology for Industry 4.0 digital transformation proven by over 380 large enterprise customer deployments, of which more than 75 incorporate 5G. By deploying private wireless to explore and develop its potential in manufacturing, Volkswagen underscores its leading position in leveraging digitalisation to enhance efficiency and productivity. We are delighted to support this effort with the Nokia Digital Automation Cloud and our extensive experience in private wireless networks,” said Chris Johnson, Head of Global Enterprise business for Nokia.
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