Telstra deploys industry-first Ericsson Private 5G for enterprise

The first-ever deployment of Ericsson Private 5G, an on-premise dedicated 5G network for enterprise utilising a single-server 5G dual-mode core, has been announced by Telstra and Ericsson.

The beneficiary of this new technology will be Telstra Enterprise customer AgriFood Connect, an Australian not-for-profit organisation created to accelerate the adoption of technology and innovation across agriculture and manufacturing industries.

Ericsson describes its Private 5G as a private wireless connectivity platform that facilitates advanced operations through automation, flexibility and intelligent connectivity. It uses a single server 5G dedicated network based on a dual-mode core. Ericsson Private 5G facilitates both LTE and 5G Standalone (SA) simultaneously.

The company says the 5G SA capability, coupled with Telstra's advanced network capabilities, offers an industrial wireless connectivity platform for enterprise that can deliver low latency, enhanced resiliency, and the capacity to meet demanding business operation requirements.

"With this new product, Telstra and AgriFood Connect have successfully deployed industrial IoT capabilities over 5G standalone that can support a variety of business requirements such as asset condition monitoring and the collection of data from machinery," says Ericsson head, Australia and New Zealand, Emilio Romeo

"These sorts of capabilities will enable features such as predictive maintenance alerts that will drive cost savings against unplanned downtime and repairs."

Telstra believes the world-first deployment partnership represents an essential step towards automation and control through intelligent 5G connectivity.

Iskra Nikolova, Telstra Network and Infrastructure executive, says, "The combination of a dedicated network in partnership with Telstra's existing Network capabilities can facilitate the implementation of a whole variety of new and emerging technologies. Challenging locations in regional Australia, with comparatively limited backhaul capacity, will significantly benefit from this technology.

He says, as an example, "A remote farming or a manufacturing business could embrace the latest advancements in video analytics and IoT connectivity, almost regardless of their location, with the data processed on-site."

The new private 5G platform will enable emerging industrial use cases across multiple verticals such as Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs), AI, automation, drone technology, augmented reality and virtual reality, and many more 5G use cases available through Ericsson's Industry 4.0 partner ecosystem.

Thomas Hall, AgriFood Connects acting CEO, says, "Australia's agriculture and advanced manufacturing industries will play a pivotal role in Australia's economic growth. We are focused on supporting businesses in defining their challenges within the agri-food value chain. Working with our ecosystem partners, we identify the right solutions for businesses in areas including digital transformation and operational enhancement."

He says that utilising advanced technologies such as the dedicated 5G network will help demonstrate the latest technological innovations.