Thiel Lab Liu Tai: 5G private network empowers the digital transformation of the industry

On October 12, during the 2021 TOEM Technology Innovation and Intelligent Digital Promotion Seminar, Liu Tai, deputy chief engineer of Thiel System Laboratory, delivered a keynote speech on "5G Network Boosting The Digital Transformation of the Industry".

At the meeting, Liu Tai mainly explained the technical architecture and application value of the 5G industry private network from multiple angles and three-dimensional perspectives on the concept of 5G industry private network, the deployment mode of 5G industry private network, spectrum, industry demand, main applications and cases.

Different from the 5G public network for public consumers, the 5G industry private network has differentiated performance requirements. This stems from the fact that industry users may have higher requirements for network coverage, latency, upstream bandwidth, data confidentiality, device mobility, network control, etc. than public large networks. In this regard, in order to meet the diversified needs of industry users, the 5G industry private network came into being. "5G private network has many advantages such as large bandwidth, wide connection, low latency, and high security." Liu Tai pointed out that the accurate supply of 5G technology to vertical industries by 5G industry private network can be applied to the production process of various industries and widely improve the digital level of production factors in vertical industries.

Liu Tai focused on the various deployment methods of 5G industry private networks, namely virtual private networks, hybrid private networks, and independent private networks, and analyzed their advantages and disadvantages. The construction and operation and maintenance costs of the virtual private network are low, but the latency is large, the independence is low, and the performance needs to be considered comprehensively with the public network; the hybrid private network latency is low, but there are still potential risks in data security and privacy; the independent private network can be completely private, not shared with the public network, and the security level is improved, but the deployment and operation and maintenance costs are higher.

At the meeting, Liu Tai also compared Germany, Britain, Japan, the United States and other countries and regions in the world, and elaborated on the spectrum allocation and development status of China's 5G industry private network. At present, China's four major operators have launched 5G industry private network services based on authorized frequency bands, including virtual private networks, hybrid private networks, and independent private network business models customized according to user needs. Millimeter Wave band 5G technology for industry private networks is in the research stage.

Talking about the application of 5G industry private network, Liu Tai listed the application value of 5G industry private network in different application scenarios such as 5G smart factory, smart wind power, smart mine, smart steel, smart warehousing and logistics, smart port, etc., mainly including high-definition video surveillance, AGV/card control, PLC remote control, real-time data collection, front-line personnel handheld terminal wearable VR/AR, etc.

Facing the development trend of private networks in the 5G industry in the future, Liu Tai pointed out that China's 5G industry private network design is moving towards a new stage of digital twins. At present, communication operators are working through network digital twins, according to the characteristics of network requirements in various vertical industries, through virtual, intelligent and agile iterative network design, service private network construction. This will further play the functional role of the 5G industry private network, improve the efficiency of enterprises, quickly achieve fault location, greatly reduce the failure rate, and achieve the goal of cost reduction and efficiency increase. "At present, 5G standards and technologies continue to evolve, and special equipment and chips combined with industry are gradually mature; 5G application pilots are continuously promoted, and replicable models are formed in some large-scale industries; millimeter wave band technology promotes the deployment of dedicated frequency band private networks." Liu Tai said.

"The development of the 5G industry private network still faces two main sources of problems: First, the industry demand is fragmented, the technical requirements are relatively high, it is still necessary to increase research and development efforts, and the integration of industry demand and 5G technology requires comprehensive innovative talents." Second, the economic cost is still high, the related solution investment is higher, and the benefit recovery is a long-term process, on the other hand, the 5G private network equipment has not yet been on the volume, and the cost reduction still needs a process. The above are all problems that enterprises in the industry, including operators, need to overcome. Liu Tai finally pointed out.