Telefonica Germany has said that it is currently in talks with Mercedes-Benz for a 5G mobile network which will be used to produce vehicles at the automaker’s Factory 56 plant in Sindelfingen, Germany.
The German Telco will install the 5G technology while Mercedes-Benz will operate it.
5G will be used for the very first time in running production. The use of this new superfast technology is expected to ensure that Mercedes-Benz cars will be produced in a way that is considered to be among the most optimized production processes currently. It includes new features such as data linking and product tracking on the assembly line during the production process.
With its own separate network, all these processes will be optimized in a way that not only makes them more robust, but also ensures greater efficiency.
Large quantities of data will be required for a variety of test scenarios involving the cars and with the use of the 5G mobile network, they will be easier to do as it allows data to transmit very quickly, with low latency and is highly reliable.
“As the inventor of the car, we are taking digitalization in production to a whole new level. With the installation of a local 5G network, the networking of all production systems and more efficient in the future. This opens up completely new production opportunities,” said Jorg Burzer, Member of the Divisional Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz Cars, Production and Supply Chain.
“With the ‘Factory 56’. We are not only building the smart car production of the future, but also putting in place the world’s first 5G mobile network in a vehicle assembly factory,” he added.
“We are starting the 5G era for Germany as an industrial location and are building the most modern mobile network for one of the most modern automobile factories in the world. As a telecommunications provider and partner for the industry, we have extensive experience in private networks and modern 5G solutions, which we are now contributing to the cooperation with Mercedes-Benz Cars,” said CEO of Telefonica Deutschland, Markus Haas.