The promise of 5G is twofold: speed and low latency. Under the right circumstances, the technology has enough advantages to support some intensive business needs, including enabling private 5G networks in closed-loop industrial applications.

For example, manufacturing and mining, as well as other industrial operations, can take advantage of increasingly reliable local private 5G network solutions to manage networked machines across the factory floor. Increasingly "smart" industries are embracing the operational and cost efficiencies of 5G in edge workflows. When combined with predictive analytics, IoT applications can provide real-time alerts and data collection to inform operational and strategic intelligence. According to ReportLinker, the IIoT market is expected to reach $344.7 billion by 2026.

IIoT sensors can capture and detect many variables from temperature to inventory levels to production output. Likewise, equipment can work in reverse, changing settings, weakening controls and managing industrial machinery. Sensor data fed into predictive algorithms often helps inform machine maintenance plans, for example, preventing problems from escalating and causing costly downtime.

Technologies such as robotics, automated production lines, AI-driven predictive maintenance, digital twin technology, and remote facility control and monitoring are being dubbed Industry 4.0 by the tech media. It should be noted, however, that "industries" (manufacturers, engineering organizations, utilities, infrastructure providers, mining, etc.) have been leveraging the IIoT and proxying Industry 4.0 for about 50 years in some cases. The latest is 5G (and Wi-Fi 6 - see below) networks, which combine these innovations in a functional ecosystem - mainly because wireless networks of any color are generally more efficient than short-range copper or fiber-connected infrastructure. Cheaper and faster to deploy. 5G in particular has a very limited range because it uses very high radio frequencies without multiple relays.

Despite the surge in interest in 5G adoption, Wi-Fi remains the most popular wireless technology in industrial settings. Wi-Fi global organization Wireless Broadband Alliance (WBA) recently released Wi-Fi 6/6E for Industrial IoT: Achieving Wi-Fi Determinism in an IoT World report detailing the latest generation of Wi-Fi 6 How (already available if not widely deployed) is increasingly suitable for connecting existing and emerging IIoT use cases.

The WBA's IIoT working group consists of more than three dozen vendors and service providers working on the projects reported in the white paper, including Intel, Cisco, and Deutsche Telekom.

Real-world IIoT applications including autonomous mobile robots and ground vehicles (AMRs and AGVs), device sensors, security controls, industrial vehicles, location-based services, and wireless time-sensitive networks (WTSNs) are studied to determine Wi-Fi 6 and 6E performance to determine if it is as viable as 5G or more suitable for a specific use case.

Practical IIoT Example

For AMRs and AGVs, Intel and Cisco worked with partners to conduct trials where network latency requirements were between 10 and 20 milliseconds, equipment traveled less than 50 km/h, and network reliability was 99.9999%. Cisco is also working on security control applications where latency matters, such as when operators leave their consoles and automation systems need control.

Cisco worked closely with Mettis Aerospace on a test bed of Wi-Fi 6 industrial examples to trial low-power, high-reliability, high-density devices. Also working with Intel on Wi-Fi 6 to achieve high-resolution frame rates of 90fps in AR/VR applications, where throughput requirements can be as high as 100 Mb/s.

“We are delighted to be partnering with Mettis Aerospace and thank the Worcestershire Local Enterprise Partnership for inviting us to work with them to demonstrate capabilities and facilitate the convergence of 5G and Wi-Fi 6 in heterogeneous networks,” said WBA General Manager Tiago Rodrigues.

"The first trial will provide an example for industrial manufacturers around the world who are embracing the transition to Industry 4.0 and understand the capabilities of Wi-Fi 6 to enable the transformation."

"Industrial manufacturers work in extremely complex environments that make cellular technology difficult to deploy and operate effectively," agrees Dave Green, director of IT at Mettis Aerospace, in the company's blog. "We believe Wi-Fi 6 has an important role to play in the 5G ecosystem, enabling a range of cost-effective industrial applications."