Supporting value creation through IX in the manufacturing industry with a wide range of connectivity -- Takeshi Kashima, CTO, Ericsson Japan
ODAIBA IX Core/Industrial Transformation (IX) Leaders
Leaders Transforming Industrial Technology (No. 6)

The 5G network has a strong image of growth for consumers, but we can expect growth in the industry domain as well. One of the reasons for this is that global cellular IoT subscriptions are growing at more than 10% per year, which is having a strong impact," said Takeshi Kashima, CTO of Ericsson Japan. This is one of the reasons why we expect the global cellular IoT subscriptions to grow at more than 10% per year and have a strong impact," said Takeshi Kashima, CTO of Ericsson Japan. In this context, he believes that how 5G and local 5G are used will be one of the keys to Industry Exchange (IX).

Kashima added, "Mission-critical IoT will require low latency performance, and 5G use cases will expand as RedCap, a 5G standard designed for use in IoT, is introduced in Japan. On the other hand, when 5G enters factories or is increasingly used underground or in buildings, there are issues that will make it difficult to cover the area, especially at higher frequencies," said Kashima, pointing out both the expansion and the challenges.

When looking at the usage of 5G networks in the context of Industrial IoT, Ericsson will take the stance of "expanding the area and making everything easier to use around 5G" (Mr. Kashima). Ericsson's position is to support the creation of new value by enhancing connectivity and making it easier to use through communications for a wide range of industrial IoT applications, from manufacturing to utilities such as ports and gas.

That is why, even if 5G is used for IX, the choice of the network is left to the user, Kashima said. We may use a public 5G network, or if we use 5G SA (stand-alone), we may use network slicing (where multiple logical networks are built on top of the physical network). And if we need a completely independent network, we can employ local 5G," he said. The ability to choose a network configuration that meets your needs has made it even more useful for IX, which creates new value for your business.

In fact, he said, the need for IX is increasing from a global perspective. Private 5G use globally is increasing, and so are industrial applications that use network slicing in SA. Also in Japan, local 5G licenses continue to increase," said Kashima.

Mr. Kashima, on the other hand, talks about a semiconductor manufacturing plant as an example. There are situations where unmanned clean room transport systems using overhead transport rails are used to transport wafers in the clean rooms of semiconductor factories, which are different from the use of AGVs (automated guided vehicle robots), so a deep understanding of each manufacturing industry is required to build a network. He also reveals that the contribution of 5G to IX is not a simple matter. The reality is that new factories are more likely to support IX than existing industries and factories. Ericsson Japan hopes to contribute to providing value in IX by offering solutions that match the realities of the industry.

Furthermore, as Ericsson Japan expands its business from Japan to the rest of the world, there is a viewpoint of future IX initiatives to utilize local 5G and millimeter wave. Ericsson Japan has a vision for the future of IX, which is to promote global IX through partnerships with Japanese companies that manufacture devices and other equipment. Japanese semiconductor manufacturing equipment is used all over the world. There are many fields in which Japan excels, such as manufacturing robots and sensors. If these become 5G-ready and go out into the world, they will be able to provide the functions necessary for factory digitalization," said Kashima. The manufacturing industry has the potential not only to realize IX with Ericsson as a user, but also to become a global provider of 5G-ready devices to realize IX.