Vodafone Germany announced that the new campus network will be completed by the end of 2024.
German carrier Vodafone has announced that it will build a private 5G-based campus network at BASF Schwarzheide’s Lausitz production site.
Vodafone has announced that it will install an “independent and highly secure” mobile communications infrastructure at its production sites by the end of next year.
The telco pointed out that BASF Schwarzheide currently relies on the campus network and therefore operates independently of the public mobile network. This local network will bring ultra-fast mobile communications especially to businesses and production sites, Vodafone explained, adding that the company can adjust and design his 5G network according to its own requirements.
In total, the partners are building six mobile phone poles with state-of-the-art antennas to deliver 5G technology across the factory site. The company expects this new infrastructure to be particularly useful for monitoring and maintaining production facilities and optimizing production processes.
Vodafone and BASF have already tested the technology in the field in a first test run and identified a number of application areas. The partners have recently been carrying out tests in selected areas of the factory premises in order to improve, accelerate and make the production process safer. These tests include wireless sensors, 5G cameras, and IT systems networked through mobile communications.
“As a digitalization partner for German industry, we are supporting the operation of BASF’s local 5G network in Schwarzheide. In Schwarzheide, sensors, machines, robots and drones will soon be able to communicate with each other in real time. This will make BASF’s Lusatian production plant a pioneer in the European process industry, allowing us to develop and implement new application scenarios,” said Alexander Saul, Managing Director, Corporate Customers, Vodafone Germany. .
“With the expansion of our 5G campus network, we are taking the next important step in the digitalization of our sites. This wireless technology opens new doors for us, while significantly increasing the economics of existing applications. on the other hand, it enables applications that cannot yet be foreseen or imagined today,” says Jürgen Fuchs, CEO of BASF Schwarzheide.
Vodafone Germany announced last month that its 5G network has reached 90% of the country’s population.
Meanwhile, the company added that its 5G standalone network (SA) currently serves 45% of Germany’s population. Vodafone has previously stated that 5G SA technology will be covered nationwide by 2025.
Vodafone currently operates more than 26,000 mobile radio stations in Germany, including around 15,000 5G stations.
Vodafone Germany launched its 5G standalone network last year in partnership with Ericsson, Nokia, Qualcomm and Oppo. For 5G expansion, Vodafone currently relies on frequencies in the 3.6 GHz, 1.8 GHz and 700 MHz bands in metropolitan, residential, suburban and rural areas across Germany.
