Did you know 80 percent of private wireless early adopters achieved a positive return on investment (ROI) within six months of deploying a 4G/5G private wireless network?¹

It’s clear that a pervasive, reliable and high-performance connectivity foundation is the key to unlocking the safety, efficiency, productivity and sustainability benefits of digitalized, data-driven operations, whether you work in a mine, smart factory or port terminal.

But building this foundation isn’t easy. Successful digitalization demands flawless connectivity everywhere because production can't stop and workers need continuous access to data. If your network doesn’t meet this demand, it could disrupt critical operational technology (OT) processes, put workers in danger or degrade the performance of over-the-top applications such as high-definition surveillance cameras.

All of this could diminish your ROI for Industry 4.0. For example, if you deploy remote-controlled machines and vehicles that rely on real-time video and then find that your network can’t evolve to meet their needs, your Industry 4.0 investment won’t deliver the value or benefits you’re hoping for.

Is your network ready to provide robust, reliable and scalable connectivity that will keep your business running safely and smoothly and help you get the most from Industry 4.0?

Sizing up the Industry 4.0 connectivity contenders

Lots of industrial enterprises—yours may be one of them—still run legacy Wi-Fi networks. This may be fine for many IT applications. But bandwidth constraints, spotty coverage, security flaws, changing environments and slow handovers make legacy Wi-Fi entirely ill suited for critical OT applications and a growing number of non-critical applications, too.

Newer Wi-Fi 6 and 6E technologies overcome some of these legacy limitations with better capacity, speed and scalability. But coverage is still very limited and the technologies are still susceptible to interference and performance drops as more devices connect. While Wi-Fi 6 and 6E are great options for a host of non-critical OT applications, they’re not designed for your critical OT use cases.

This is where private wireless networks come in. Built on 4.9G/5G technology, these networks provide reliable mission-critical connectivity for devices, machines and people that work and move in challenging environments. They combine excellent capacity, superior coverage, immunity to interference and built-in end-to-end security. They can connect many more devices and machines than Wi-Fi and deliver the predictable low latency required for complex Industry 4.0 use cases.

There’s no doubt that both Wi-Fi 6/6E and private wireless have essential roles to play in providing flexible connectivity options for the different needs of digital-era industrial enterprises. Your investments in legacy Wi-Fi can also continue to provide value. So why not combine them and get the best of both worlds?

Private wireless and Wi-Fi are better together

In controlled circumstances, Wi-Fi brings a significant capacity increase to the table. Being able to combine this added capacity with the mission-critical capabilities of 4.9G/5G private wireless ensures that every one of your applications performs at its best. And when Wi-Fi performance drops, the 4.9G/5G private wireless layer is there to keep the use cases running, bringing you the best of both worlds.

This multilayer approach empowers you to choose how connectivity is delivered for each application and optimize network performance for every use case. From non-critical applications such as content distribution to deskless workers with Wi-Fi 6/6E, to critical OT use cases such as worker communications with private wireless, to extreme Industry 4.0 applications that need the combined power of Wi-Fi and private wireless, you can get it right every time.

Combined network power for extreme industrial use cases

With Nokia MX Boost, you can take advantage of both technologies simultaneously to provide seamless connectivity that improves productivity, agility, efficiency and worker safety in every part of your operation. In other words, you can build one optimized wireless system that always provides the right capacity, reliability, latency and mobility.

This doesn’t mean your machines and vehicles need to support either Wi-Fi or 4.9G/5G. Our MX Boost-capable devices can bring dual-mode connectivity to any of your assets, so you can fully tap into the benefits of multilayer connectivity.

If you have a brownfield Wi-Fi deployment, there’s no need to rip and replace it. Using Nokia MX Boost, you can get the most value from your existing Wi-Fi network by combining it with our private wireless solutions. To ensure the best performance across your entire operation, your ideal strategy will be to also upgrade your legacy Wi-Fi to Wi-Fi 6/6E.

The flexibility of MX Boost makes it easy to optimize network performance for your most extreme industrial use cases, including:

• Video-assisted operations: Make sure remote-controlled and video-assisted machines always run smoothly with the highest possible video streaming quality by combining Wi-Fi with private wireless to improve the network’s data capacity.

• Seamless vehicle operations: Maintain operational continuity across your industrial site by ensuring that vehicles can move effortlessly between your Wi-Fi and private wireless network coverage.

• Reliable machine control: Combine Wi-Fi with private wireless, to keep remote-controlled and autonomous machines running with maximum reliability and predictable low latency, improving machine uptime, productivity and worker safety

Reap the benefits of one-stop wireless

How do you benefit from this one-stop approach to wireless connectivity? By deploying a multilayer connectivity solution that draws on the best capabilities of private wireless and Wi-Fi, you can:

• Improve continuity across your operations

• Make your operations more productive and efficient

• Protect workers with real-time safety applications

• Get the most from your current Industry 4.0 investment

• Build a foundation for future Industry 4.0 use cases. 

Find out more

Download our free digitalization guides for manufacturers and port operators to learn more about how the combination of Wi-Fi and 4.9G/5G private wireless can help you boost productivity, efficiency and worker safety and realize your Industry 4.0 ambitions.

Sources:

1. GlobalData and Nokia, 2024 Industrial Digitalization Report