5G for industrial communication

The whitepaper from HMS Networks provides an overview of the industry’s opinions towards 5G technology as an emerging trend and future standard in the manufacturing and industrial automation industry. It also touches on the use of wireless technologies in the industry today and future directions of this technology.

Key findings include:

- More than half (54%) of the interviewees indicated using wireless communication solutions for remote monitoring and remote operation of assets. One third of the respondents (34%) stated that their companies were using wireless communication for different kinds of IIoT.

- Half of the interviewees (48%) were clearly positive about 5G in manufacturing – they mostly appreciated that the technology will replace cables, unreliable Wi-Fi, and the many industrial standards in use today.

- For the majority (58%) of the respondents, the reliability and robustness of wireless systems plays a decisive role in whether to adopt 5G or not, and this was voiced equally by representatives of OT and IT. Low latency was mentioned as important by more than a quarter (26%) of the interviewees.

"The survey clearly showed that the industry is getting increasingly aware of 5G benefits for industrial communication. What the industry really needs is technical information and practical examples," says Marcela Alzin, Program Manager at HMS Labs at HMS Networks, who conducted the research. "This is why I created a fictional model of a typical OT professional and his attitude towards 5G. This should help to better understand the situation on the market."