Shift into high gear: Transform the automotive industry with private 5G

The real action in the auto industry isn’t on the road — it’s in the factory. These sites stretch for miles, operating like small cities of their own, and they rarely slow down. About every 50 seconds, a new car rolls off the line. At that pace, it’s difficult for manual process to keep up.

Just moving newly built cars to their designated bays is a challenge. So too is tracking trailers and other plant vehicles across the sprawling lots. Then there’s the need for security and well-orchestrated precision.

Clearly, the backbone of automotive manufacturing isn’t just steel and machinery. It’s also the 5G-powered networks that keep everything connected behind the scenes.

5G is transforming automotive manufacturing

This industry is changing, and this change is driven by the evolution of connected and autonomous technologies. How automakers navigate this landscape depends on how well they can integrate these new technologies in a safe, secure, scalable, cost-effective and sustainable way.

Traditional network infrastructures often struggle to keep pace with the demands for always-on connectivity, ultralow latency and the ability to scale across vast manufacturing sites. There are also logistical hurdles, time-consuming and costly manual processes still in play, and ineffective security can lead to breaches and losses. Robust, 24x7 wireless connectivity, like 5G, is now an imperative if you want to maintain your competitive edge. It’s essential for supporting critical workflows.

5 strategies for implementing 5G in auto manufacturing

Advanced 5G connectivity is the answer, but without a clear implementation plan, you won’t unlock the resilience, speed and scalability it can deliver.

Here are five strategies to consider:

1. Start with the business problem you want to solve

Spending large sums on technology can be risky. So, start with what you know: the issue at hand. Then, take a measured approach. Run pilots and proofs of concept, with incremental deployments to test the technology. Collaborate with diverse teams, including IT, OT, finance and operations. Measure everything so you can prove the ROI.

2. Deploy a secure, interference-free private 5G network

Private 5G networks give critical systems such as surveillance and AGVs the speed and reliability they need, even across large manufacturing sites. Using shared licensed spectrum, such as the Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) in the US, keeps connections interference-free and dependable.

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3. Segment and streamline your network

In automotive manufacturing, your network must handle everything from AGVs and machine vision to wireless push-to-talk (PTT) communications and always-connected PCs. Flexibility and resilience are key.

Segmenting your physical network into multiple virtual slices — each isolated and optimized for a specific application — improves performance, security and quality of service for critical applications. This way, essential operations like AGV communications are isolated from other traffic.

4. Use AI and machine learning

Generative and predictive AI technologies are changing the game when it comes to network intelligence. They’re the key to smart automation and to making manufacturing operations smarter and faster. From streamlining logistics to tightening data controls, these technologies help you stay ahead of the curve. And with proactive monitoring, root-cause analysis and even self-healing abilities, they keep downtime low and efficiency up.

5. Adopt a network-as-a-service (NaaS) model

With NaaS, network infrastructure shifts from a heavy capex investment to a more flexible, service-based model. The upfront outlay is reduced, costs transfer to predictable opex, and the financial risk is lower because you’re not investing in technology that could quickly become obsolete. And with your service provider taking on a more operational role, you can focus less on managing your network and more on running your core business.

Private 5G delivers ROI for global auto manufacturers

NTT DATA partnered with a luxury automaker to design, deploy and manage private 5G networks as a service across their manufacturing plants in the US and Europe. Covering a massive 6.5 square miles (nearly 17 square kilometers), the network now delivers secure, high-speed connectivity, powering a fleet of AGVs for automated parking and in-plant movement.

The automaker has retained full control of their network and keeps all data in-house. The solution also supports smart capabilities such as AI-enabled perimeter security cameras, PTT devices and outdoor inventory scanning.

Another global automaker struggled to reconfigure their legacy ultra-wideband item-location solutions because of extensive fixed cabling. We deployed flexible, high-speed, wireless private 5G connectivity which significantly lowered their cabling costs and made production-line reconfiguration faster and more efficient.

Make automotive innovation a reality

With a 50-year history in telecommunications, NTT DATA is one of the world’s top global IT service providers, operating in over 190 countries and regions alongside leading industry partners such as Cisco, Nokia, Ericsson, Celona and Palo Alto Networks.

We’re also named a Leader in the 2024 Gartner^® Magic Quadrant™ for Managed Network Services.*

Our secure, end-to-end private network solutions are built on 5G wireless technologies that can be fully integrated with your IT and OT environments. And, because our solutions run 4G and 5G concurrently, it’s cost-effective and fast to upgrade your operations to 5G. We hold multiple patents in 5G technologies, optical wireless transmission and advanced AI automation. And, as a founding member of the 5G Global Enterprise Solution Consortium, we’ve helped establish open radio access network (RAN) technologies and standards across industries.

With our fully managed service, you have all the support you need to keep your network — and your operations — running 24x7.

What better partner to have in the driving seat for your network and connectivity modernization?

* Gartner, Magic Quadrant for Managed Network Services, By Ted Corbett, Nauman Raja, Jon Dressel, Lisa Pierce, Karen Brown, Danellie Young, 14 October 2024

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