Telstra Taps Ericsson to Deploy Private 5G for Enterprise

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 will be the beneficiary of this new technology.

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

The 5G SA capability delivered from the Ericsson Private 5G product, 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 even the most demanding business operation requirements.

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

Telstra Network and Infrastructure executive, Iskra Nikolova, 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, where there is comparatively limited backhaul capacity, will greatly benefit from this technology. For 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”.

Emilio Romeo, Head of Ericsson, Australia and New Zealand, says: “This world first deployment in partnership with Telstra represents an important step towards automation and control through intelligent 5G connectivity. The Ericsson 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 innovative 5G use cases made available through Ericsson’s robust Industry 4.0 partner ecosystem.”

AgriFood Connect’s acting CEO, Thomas Hall, says: “Australia’s agriculture and advanced manufacturing industries will play a pivotal role in Australia’s economic growth. We are focussed 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. Utilising advanced technologies like the dedicated 5G network will help demonstrate the latest advancement technology innovations.”