Axians helps its customers evolve their infrastructure and digital solutions, especially in the rollout of 5G. However, it is clear that in the industry, many actors have not yet realized all the benefits of 5G networks. We interviewed Sébastien Becquet, Business Manager at Axians at the Global Industrie trade fair, and he shared his insights with us.
Do you think some industry players still haven’t fully understood the benefits of 5G?
Sebastian Becquet: 5G benefits, How will it be designed and what will it be used for? Today, when you talk to some industrial players about 5G, they don’t know what it means in terms of architecture. Is it the servers, is it the radio sites, how will it transmit, how will it be deployed? In addition, there are questions of usage and technical benefits in terms of latency, handover, coverage area. We can sense that industrial players are starting to show interest, but it is still very unclear for some. We are observing inquiries where business leaders state, “I have heard about this technology, but what are the benefits? So they start researching, finding out who can provide this service, finding out what other industrial players have achieved. This level of research has not been common before. So, although it has not yet reached the majority, we are seeing this democratization of knowledge happening. So we need to educate them and show them that it is not very complicated and very easy to deploy. “
If it’s easy to implement, what do you need?
Sebastian Becquet“You need to start with the infrastructure part of the core network. The core network consists of internal servers and virtual machines. Typically, industrial players understand this and some already have this in place as they already have an IT department. It is also possible to interface with the client’s existing infrastructure. Then there are the radio sites and the identifying emission points. The idea is to place these radio sites to provide coverage across the entire factory.”
Who decides where to place your radio station? You?
Sebastian Becquet“Exactly. Our job is to do the radio engineering for our customers based on the KPIs they request. This includes choosing the number and location of antennas. It also means deciding the coverage area: do we need continuity everywhere or only in certain zones, outdoors or indoors?”
Have your customers done their research up front to know the ROI they can achieve?
Sebastian Becquet“Some industrial players are already in this process. They are aware of their weaknesses and are in the process of optimization, so they are considering which technology can meet their needs and optimization. Other players may be in the discovery stage of 5G technology and asking questions about what it will be used for and what benefits it will bring. And it is our responsibility to say what are these benefits and what is the ROI that can be achieved.”
Can you give us some specific examples of implementations you have carried out?
Sebastian Becquet“We carried out an implementation project in the Port of Bordeaux in France. Previously, to move a container, agents would go to a central building, pick up a paper order, go to the straddle carrier and move the container. They acknowledged that their current solution was not effective and expressed the need for Wi-Fi. However, Wi-Fi could not provide satisfactory coverage for various reasons. First, there is interference from metal containers. Also, Wi-Fi requires the deployment of many access points, which makes the setup complicated. Meanwhile, we proposed private 4G as an alternative technology. They asked about the rationale and implementation, so we explained that we could cover the entire port with one wireless site and digitize their operations.”
What was the feedback like from customers back then?
Sebastian Becquet“We saw ROI within six months of implementation and got our money back. We are now moving from a primarily process-oriented approach to building on existing frameworks. Now they are asking how Private 4G It can enhance operations, such as locating personnel on-site. This includes sending alerts based on the location of people moving through the port. For example, an alert could be sent to warn them if a forklift approaches within five metres. Similarly, drivers could be warned about pedestrians in their vicinity. Further enhancing personal safety further widens the range of potential applications that can be supported.”
Is the move from 4G to 5G simply a matter of changing antennas?
Sebastian Becquet“There are two possibilities, indeed. ARCEP “They opened up a band called Band 38 for both 4G and 5G. It’s just a software upgrade within the core network. If you want to move to the second band that opened up, Band 77, which is currently an experimental band, you have to change the radiation point, because a radio site that radiates in Band 38 will not necessarily radiate in Band 77. So you can upgrade the core, but you have to change the radio infrastructure.”
What is the biggest challenge in rolling out a 5G network?
Sebastian Becquet“In the industry, generally speaking, coverage is not the biggest challenge. The challenge we face is how to interconnect different systems. The goal of a 5G network is to collect data, so when collecting data, there are many different automation systems and protocols talking to each other. To be able to aggregate all this data and provide it to our clients, it can get a little complicated.
The second big challenge is cyber security and, more generally, connecting to existing networks. Usually the IT department gets involved, they look at what we’re trying to do, then they take care and say, I want a completely different flow in my system. So you have to do some network engineering in the IT sense and then add a cyber layer. That’s also a big challenge for us. In this case, it’s not an industrial problem, it’s more of a general problem.
Is it hard to be exposed to the waves?
Sebastian Becquet: “Yes, this exposure to radio waves is an important issue. For safety reasons, it is important to prove to customers that there are no health risks when deploying 5G networks. This is also a social issue for our customers. We need to accompany them to reassure them and show them that everything is in order. And usually a certification body specialized in this field accompanies them.”
In addition, there is change management. What we are aiming to do today is to show an industry that is used to communicating only on large terminals that you can manage everything centrally on your smartphone. This changes ergonomics. So in this change management part, we have to accompany our clients. And that is a real challenge for us and for our clients. “
Do you use digital simulation tools to simulate waves?
Sebastian Becquet: “Yes, of course. We have tools for indoor and outdoor radio simulation. For outdoor, we import accurate maps with lateral distances and heights up to 5 meters, for example. So we can run a simulation, place points at a certain height, set the radiated power and create a coverage map. Then we check the RSSI RSRP levels and throughput levels. If a client tells us that they need at least 10 megabits of throughput at every point of coverage, we can verify such a thing. For indoor, we implement the plan and run 3D indoor coverage simulations. We have the tools we need to do these things. But our colleagues in the field will tell you that this is a great starting point, but nothing beats real-life testing.”
What about the actual test?
Sebastian Becquet“We’ll bring in standalone sites and put radio sites where we theoretically would, and then we’ll make sure everything is OK.”
What industry sector do you primarily operate in?
Sebastian Becquet“In logistics, there’s a real need with process automation, robotics and so on. We also see a real need in ports and airports. In today’s connected airports, the goal is to minimize the time aircraft spend on the ground. So the more automation there is and the faster information circulates between the various parties, the greater the ROI.”
What about the automotive industry?
Sebastian Becquet“To be honest, so far, AutomotiveBut now we’re involved in a project called Géo 5G for Stellantis, as part of the French Relance initiative. They’re looking to use 5G to pinpoint the position of the tool to within about a meter. The idea is that on a production line, the torque settings will automatically adjust based on the worker’s position. For example, when using a screwdriver, the torque will adjust depending on the worker’s position, changing between “I’m here” and “I’m there” and the torque will automatically adapt accordingly.
Is it possible to achieve such precise geolocation?
Sebastian Becquet“Germany has done it, but it requires much more infrastructure. Basically, you need many more radio sites to locate yourself in the best possible way in space. So the costs are not the same. But again, everything is calculable.”
