5G/6G-Based Sustainable Systems for Industry 4.0

Abstract

5G is the fifth generation of cellular technology. It is designed to increase speed, reduce latency, and improve the flexibility of wireless services. The 5G network is expected to deliver a wide range of services that include enhanced mobile broadband, massive machine-type communication and ultra-reliability, and low latency. Manufacturers, supply chain companies, and other enterprises are increasingly looking at mobile networks to provide flexible enterprise-grade industrial connectivity. A key use case for 5G therefore is to support the connectivity requirements of Industry 4.0, which is based on intelligent networked machines and manufacturing processes combining IoT, AI, and other digital technologies. Industry 4.0 applications such as smart logistics, connected production robots, predictive maintenance, and surveillance rely heavily on connectivity, each with different requirements in terms of throughput, latency, reliability, and the number of endpoints. Moreover, the use of 6G and the industrial metaverse ensures effective latency, high-quality services, enormous IoT infrastructure, and incorporated AI capabilities. This chapter first explores the technical and operational aspects of 5G mobile networks. It then reviews a broad range of manufacturing and supply chain-related use cases for which 5G provides a plethora of highly competitive connectivity options.