Around the world, 5G services have been launched, and attention is focused on how communication networks will change. Under such circumstances, expectations in the industrial field are rising in local 5G. We will introduce what local 5G is like, how it differs from ordinary 5G, and what kind of situations are expected to be active.
What is Local 5G
Before we think about what local 5G is, let’s look back at what 5G is.
The fifth-generation mobile communication system, or 5G, aims to further accelerate the evolution of mobile communication systems that have been progressing so far and to become a system that can play an active role in the future. It is assumed that three requirements are satisfied: “high speed and large capacity”, “low latency”, and “multiple simultaneous connections”.
5G is not a newly invented means of communication. Development began with the goal of naming a communication system that satisfies the above three requirements as 5G and establishing a communication means that can realize it. Therefore, communication methods are not determined as such methods, and we are still looking for ways to achieve the three requirements more efficiently. However, since the service is about to start, communication means have already been narrowed down to some extent.
These 5G communication methods are mainly deployed by information and communications companies, but there is also a way to use 5G without depending on the communication network prepared by those companies. That’s local 5G. Local 5G is a way to build a 5G communication environment on its own without depending on information and communication-related companies and utilize it throughout the industry.
Local 5G is intended to be used in information and communication in the industrial field, not in conversation and e-mail. In particular, it is expected in IoT and smart factories where Internet communication is the premise and it is necessary to exchange large amounts of data.
How is local 5G different from conventional communication networks and ordinary 5G?
In this way, local 5G has high expectations for connecting IoT with industry. However, many companies have already built and operated a network for each office or factory. Is it really necessary to switch from the existing wireless LAN and LPWA?
One answer to these questions is that there is no need to switch. It is expected that the balance will proceed rather than switching completely, and it is thought that the network already in place and the local 5G will be separated.
When considering connections from various devices, wireless LAN has many advantages and advantages. However, in terms of security, local 5G is advantageous.
From the viewpoint of many simultaneous connections, LPWA can also be connected from a few km away, and the delay is small and can be used sufficiently. However, when a large amount of data is transmitted at the same time, local 5G is advantageous because there is a delay, and local 5G is excellent in terms of real-time.
Each of these advantages is considered to have the potential to separate existing networks and local 5G, but what is the difference between regular 5G and local 5G?
5G is provided mainly by four domestic carriers. It has been announced that 5G of this domestic carrier will gradually expand the service provision area. This means that it’s not available anywhere in the country from the start, and you don’t know when the service will be offered depending on where it is.
On the other hand, local 5G is not bound by this range of service, it can be built in-house and can be started. There are also differences in usage fees. There are differences between paying for carriers or vendors who have asked you to build a network, but in general, the price set by the vendor is expected to be lower.
Where local 5G is required and what aspects are required?
Where and when is local 5G needed? We will introduce three fields that are expected to play an active role.
Manufacturing field – at the production site
IoT is becoming more common in production sites, and it is expected that the amount of data handled in the future will become even more enormous. In addition, when considering the operation of robots, real-time information is also important in order to improve accuracy and efficiency.
Local 5G has a great potential to be the solution to these challenges. In addition to solving major issues such as automation and labor shortage elimination, it is also expected to make line changes easier by making them cable less and improve accuracy by utilizing AI.
The manufacturing field, which is considered to have many benefits in this way, can be said to be the field where the effects of local 5G are expected most.
Healthcare and Health – In healthcare
Local 5G is also expected to have a significant impact in the healthcare field.
Information about an individual’s health is so important that it is called “ultimate personal information”. For this reason, the security of personal information management is highly emphasized in the healthcare field. At the same time, medical data is becoming more sophisticated and the amount of data handled is increasing.
Local 5G is thought to lead to the resolution of these issues.
It is also expected that patient data transfer systems and remote management systems will eliminate the shortage of medical and nursing care workers, including doctors. In addition, it leads to the elimination of site-level problems such as complicated wiring conditions that many medical sites face but have not been able to solve.
Protecting Life – At the Site of Infrastructure Plants
Another area where local 5G is expected to be used is the site of large-scale plants.
Large-scale plants that support infrastructure require more reliable and accurate work. As a result of the accuracy and certainty of the work, double and triple safety measures have been incorporated into the control system, and a huge number of sensors have been used. As a result, while the amount of data sent from the sensor and the amount of communication with the equipment are increasing, the operation of the equipment requires agility and the importance of real-time is increasing.
Local 5G is expected as a means to solve such problems as massive data communication and securing real-time.
Standardization and depersonalization are essential conditions when seeking work certainty. What are the means to achieve standardization and depersonalization? Research is progressing as a means of doing so with automation using a monitoring system that utilizes AI. In addition, the use of robots will help solve the labor shortage. The features of local 5G are also suitable for such AI utilization and robot control.
It is not only automation and robots that are expected to be utilized. In a large-scale plant, it is impossible to lose the cooperation between people, and if communication such as communication and reporting is neglected, it may lead to a serious accident. With local 5G, the expected effects include strengthening the mechanism for remote communication and improving the accuracy and real-time performance of instruction and transmission systems.
Local 5G is expected to be used separately from general 5G
We introduced the characteristics of local 5G and the difference between general 5G, and the fields that are expected to be used in the future.
While 5G is expected to be the next-generation mobile communication system, local 5G is expected to be used mainly in industry. Several companies have already announced their entry into the local 5G service offering. Local 5G, which is attracting attention as a different way of use from general 5G, has the potential to further accelerate industrial change.
