How 5G connectivity can help your warehouse operation

Anyone who watches TV commercials by the major mobile telecommunications providers has probably heard about 5G network technology, and how that can help smart phone users enjoy a better, faster experience. While being able to access movies and other consumer content on mobile devices will be a big part of the effects of 5G, the rapid build-out of 5G networks also should also help improve connectivity for applications in industrial settings like warehouses, DC, and factory floors.

Importantly, 5G for industrial use isn’t only about being able to stream videos and other rich content to 5G mobile devices, though that could be part of it. According to Mark Stanton, general manager of PowerFleet for Supply Chain, which offers lift truck telematics and fleet software, the speed and bandwidth of 5G will enable broader access to data from sensors and smart equipment in DC and factories, all without adding to data traffic over a site’s WIFI network, or adding to security concerns for the end-user companies.

“The increased speed of 5G comes down to better connectivity for getting data out of more sensors or connected equipment like sortation systems,” says Stanton. “If I can get more data out of all of these things and into back end systems more quickly and cost effectivity, then that data can be processed and analyzed more effectively.”

5G should help obtain more real-time data out of a wide variety of systems and smart assets in a facility, such as telematics-enabled lift trucks, conveyor and sortation, drones, camera systems, or virtually any motor or pump compatible with Internet of Things (IoT) connectivity. The data streams from these assets would be transmitted over 5G, rather than via WIFI and a traditional Internet connection, to cloud analytics, with one use case being predictive analytics to improve uptime and maintenance, says Stanton.

“If I can connect into more things via 5G, then I can get timely data from all those things and maybe get to predictive maintenance,” says Stanton. There is back-end analytics that will be needed too, adds Stanton, but 5G creates “a huge opportunity to do thing differently than how it’s done today and get to a predictive approach in which operations can get ahead of problems before they present themselves.”

A more immediate use for 5G, adds Stanton, is that third party providers such as maintenance technicians can leverage 5G’s improved bandwidth to allow for video streaming of repair or installation guidance, at end user sites. Third-party technicians in a 5G area could simply use their own 5G service plan and mobile devices to enable remote access to data rich applications, rather than having to get permission to use a site’s WIFI, or page through paper manuals.  “If you can provide connectivity that is off the local internal network, that reduces a significant security concern for many IT people,” says Stanton.

Many major metropolitan areas already have 5G service, though it varies by carrier and how remote the location is. Generally, the pace of 5G’s build outs by carriers is expected to be rapid, and the impacts are seen as transformative.

• According to a November 2020 report from mobile technology company Ericsson, by the end of 2020, more than 1 billion people, or 15 percent of the world’s population, will live in 5G coverage areas.
• According to a report from GMA Intelligence, which tracks mobile operator trends, by 2025, 5G will account for 51% of total mobile connections in North America.
• Consulting firm Deloitte recently surveyed more than 400 IT and line of business executives responsible for networking and connectivity decisions. The study found that 86% of respondents believe advanced wireless technologies such as 5G and next generation WIFI (Wi-Fi-6) will transform their organization within three years, and 79% say the same thing about their industry.

For operators of DCs in areas with 5G, the technology should be seen as a means of improved connectivity to smart assets, devices and systems, says Stanton. A DC located in an area with 5G could also opt to use 5G for lift truck telematics, rather than having the solution go through WIFI. And almost immediately, third party technicians in areas with 5G service would have better connectivity to data-intensive application functions like visual repair instructions.

The lowdown on 5G for industry is that the network build-out is expected to be rapid, while the benefits of having a new means of connecting into data on asset health could be substantial. “There is more and more technology being deployed to keep up with customer expectations around rapid fulfillment—there is more automation, more robotics, and other technologies being deployed,” says Stanton. “The challenge with all of this, is connectivity. If you can’t connect to an asset or system easily and cost effectively, it’s really just a black box. What 5G will do is enable more connectivity at a high level, to overcome this fundamental challenge.”