Ericsson and Vodafone Deploy Private 5G Network at Portuguese Cement Plant

Ericsson Sweden and Vodafone Portugal recently announced the installation of a private 5G network (SA method) at the production center of CIMPOR, a leading local cement manufacturer in Aljandra, Portugal. This is the first private 5G SA network in the country and will improve the operational efficiency of the center and automate the entire production process.

The new private 5G network uses Ericsson's RAN technology and multi-operator core network. Currently, it supports use cases such as machine monitoring, drone inspection, smart glasses, HD/radio cameras, and digital twins. In the future, the system will enable the implementation of a wide range of Industry 4.0-enabling features, such as remote monitoring of equipment, operation of autonomous devices, and constant monitoring of workers engaged in demanding tasks.

Ericsson described this communications network as "the scalability of a cloud-based product that allows you to start small and expand your network as needed. It will contribute to lower cost, more agile operations and faster, more informed decision making," he commented.

In addition, CIMPOR plans to install private 5G SA networks at two more production sites within the next few months.

Materials

• Ericsson and Vodafone Portugal pioneer 5G Standalone use cases in an industrial setting
• Ericsson and Vodafone launch Portugal's first 5G SA private network
• Ericsson, Vodafone Portugal deploy SA 5G network at cement plant