Cummins Picks Verizon to Enable Neutral Host and Private 5G Network

Verizon Business and Cummins Inc have announced an agreement to implement Verizon’s all-new Neutral Host Network product at Cummins’ Jamestown Engine Plant (JEP) in Lakewood, NY. The deal combines a Neutral Host Network with a Verizon Private 5G Network to cover distinct public-network and private-network use cases onsite at JEP.

Cummins views the network’s technological capabilities as integral to enhancing operations across the site and improving the already best-in-class quality of the engines it produces for its customers.

Cummins can use the Neutral Host Network for connecting phones and tablets to the public networks of all major U.S. carriers who opt-in to joining the Neutral Host Network, and the Private 5G Network on Verizon licensed spectrum for business-critical applications that require enhanced onsite security or capability.

The combined network implementation will provide mobile connectivity for the site’s 1 million square feet of industrial space, 1 million square feet of outdoor space, and for its 1,500 employees who work at the site to produce approximately 500 heavy-duty truck engines each day. Ericsson is the sole platform provider to Verizon Business for the network buildout.

The Verizon Neutral Host Network allows employees and visitors to enjoy a strengthened mobile signal on the grounds of the plant, and the Verizon Private 5G Network will help transform the facility to adopt additional industrial use cases now or as needed in the future.

These uses include autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) for handling and transporting materials, computer vision for defect detection, AR/VR for training and troubleshooting, sensors for machine health monitoring, and proprietary applications governing secure onsite operations.

Cellular connectivity on Private 5G can help improve the performance of mobile AMRs by providing consistent signal strength throughout the site. In addition, the use of machine-health monitoring sensors with the Private 5G network eliminates the need for long runs of Ethernet infrastructure cabling, providing Cummins a substantial cost savings.

“I am thrilled for the potential that the Neutral host and Private 5G Networks will provide at JEP to expand our communications using wireless technologies,” said Shawn Hricko, Plant Manager at Cummins Jamestown Engine Plant. “These increased capabilities will allow us to implement Industry 4.0 strategies more quickly and more reliably. The improved functionality will enable team members to communicate with one another more effectively, allow us to share more data across equipment and enable our ability to implement mobile Industrial robots (MIRs). Collectively, these improvements will enable us to produce our engines more safely, more efficiently and with improved quality, which is a win for Cummins and our customers who rely on our products on a daily basis.”

“The deployment of a Private 5G Network at our Jamestown facility is very exciting as we evaluate new digital capabilities that will transform our manufacturing operations and help to create a world class workplace for our employees,” said Ron Fleetwood, Executive Director of Cummins IT Business Services. “This is another milestone in our digital manufacturing journey that allows us to validate private cellular for additional sites in the future and to accelerate i4.0 use cases for Jamestown in the near term.”

“Cummins’ technology- and innovation-focused approach to doing business allows them to get the most out of this dynamic Neutral Host and Private 5G combination,” said Jennifer Artley, Senior Vice President of 5G Acceleration, Verizon Business. “All the connectivity bases are covered with this solution, and the efficient architecture makes it cost-effective, easy to maintain, and easy to add onto as operations grow and evolve. Plus, employees and guests onsite can keep their normal cellular connectivity without any headaches or extra steps. It’s a truly holistic solution.”

"By offering Neutral Host and Private 5G network capabilities together, Verizon can deliver a solution that supports both multi-carrier public connectivity and specialized private network use cases on a customer's campus or worksite. The network types share common elements, so implementation is streamlined and both public and private uses are covered,” said Brian Partridge, Head of Research, 451 Research, a unit of S&P Global Market Intelligence.

A neutral host network allows the general public to achieve a strengthened mobile signal via dedicated network infrastructure on a specific premises or campus, and can work with the public networks of all major U.S. carriers who opt-in to joining the neutral host network. Verizon’s Neutral Host Network accomplishes this with Verizon as the “anchor tenant,” responsible for engineering, implementation, equipment, and ongoing maintenance and performance of the onsite equipment. Verizon is not responsible for the performance of other U.S. carriers' network equipment or conditions beyond the premises of the Neutral Host Network.

Verizon Private 5G Networks are private, on-premises networks, often using Verizon’s licensed spectrum. They do not communicate with outside macro-networks and all data remains on premises.

Private 5G networks are ideal for supporting business-critical operations, advanced connected applications, edge-compute use cases, and heightened security and data sovereignty, in addition to direct cellular connectivity to connected devices and equipment.