“5G is a game changer for Belgian companies”

For Tania, the driver behind the popularity of 5G is already clear. "There is an ongoing shift toward the cloud. That creates more data and thus additional demand for more bandwidth. 5G - along with fiber - provides an answer to this issue."

5G has quite a few advantages over previous generations of mobile networks. For example, there is the high speed and bandwidth. But, according to Tania, the low latency is also crucial. That means the delay on the signal is very small, important for applications such as robotic surgery and patient monitoring. Tania: "The combination of advantages means that 5G can be a game changer. We see that very clearly in B2B contexts."

The combination of benefits means that 5G can be a game changer. We see that very clearly in B2B contexts.

Tania Defraine, Director of Enterprise Solutions & Platforms at Proximus NXT

5G combined with Wi-Fi

Proximus NXT is currently working hard at introducing 5G to enterprise contexts. The new network usually does not operate there alone; but is flanked by other networks. For example, 5G is proving complementary to Wi-Fi. Tania: "Take a hospital, for example. You can use 5G there to digitize certain medical processes, such as surgery or patient tracking. This is because there you need high speed, high reliability and high security. Wi-Fi, on the other hand, can be kept for connecting administration and providing hotspots for patients and visitors".

5G and Narrowband IoT

There is also Narrowband IoT, another network already currently integrated with 5G. "This network works mainly over long distances, and offers low power. That makes it ideal for applications in manufacturing such as asset tracking, like in a factory, where small sensors track the location of raw materials and objects. That makes managing such an industrial site easier and avoids problems like theft."

Safe and reliable

When a company deploys to 5G, it is very often done over a private networkNew window. The connection does not run via the public network to which we connect our smart phones, but over a private 5G network that only connects their business applications. This ensures that connections remain reliable and secure. In addition, one can adapt the network to the needs of the applications.

Ecosystem of partners

Tania: "In Genk, for instance, we support FacThory. That's a campus that's committed to industry 4.0 and where co-creation is key. We’re building a 5G private network there and working with our partners to develop new use cases. Like with Cisco, where we’d like to integrate the Wi-Fi on a 5G core so that we can more easily roll out brown field sites. Fortinet will take care of Operational Technology (OT) security, so we’re not working alone. Companies can get access to a whole ecosystem of partners through Proximus NXT".

Such collaborations are important to Proximus NXT. "We find that current walkie-talkie systems no longer meet the needs of companies. The quality is not always good, and the functionality and number of channels are quite limited as well. Due to business critical applications, we see more and more demand for 5G".

In that context, they recently announced a partnership with Airbus in which Proximus NXT will deploy the Airbus solution Agnet MCx for critical communications. "Here we link our 5G network to Airbus' solution. Agnet MCx supports push-to-talk, but also tracks where employees are in the company. As one example, if a dangerous situation occurs on a factory site, the network sees it very quickly, which allows for smoother interventions."

Tania Defraine, Director of Enterprise Solutions & Platforms at Proximus NXT

Drones and logistics

However, that does not mean that 5G will be the right solution for every company. Companies should start from their own needs, and then see if 5G matches them. After an initial successful experience, Proximus NXT often does see an expansion of applications. Tania: "Once there is a private 5G network for a first case, the insight often follows that more is possible with sensors, that you can unleash AI on the collected data, and so on".

5G is thus becoming more and more a part of companies' daily processes. For example, drones connected via 5G are already quite popular with logistics players. Tania: "We have a solution where drones fly around a logistics center at night via 5G taking inventory. The next morning, the company knows exactly what their stock situation is. You already see such a typical use case recurring in many logistics companies. In fact, we are industrializing that application. It will be a product that companies can simply purchase from us."

Tania Defraine, Director of Enterprise Solutions & Platforms at Proximus NXT

Network slicing

Another advantage of 5G is that it allows network slicing. Here, an operator such as Proximus divides its network into pieces, or slices. Each slice is optimized for a specific application. For example, one slice serves standard smart phone connections, while another handles the connection of sensors.

Proximus NXT is currently testing a great deal of network slicingNew window. Tania: "We did that a few months ago at the Christmas market in Dendermonde. There we created a separate slice for cashless payments. Today, wireless payment devices often still rely on the standard network or Wi-Fi, which sometimes causes problems. Those networks, especially during big events, get saturated at times. Then suddenly people can no longer make cashless payments. We avoid that problem by simply creating a separate slice".

But network slicing also proves to be a useful technology in a very different context. Today, in industrial environments, people completely separate the IT network and the OT network and set up 2 separate networks. Thanks to slicing, this is not necessary and one can run 2 networks on the same physical infrastructure.

So Proximus NXT is certainly not standing still. In the future, they see solid growth in their role as a 5G partner for companies. "Our job as integrator at Proximus NXT is to unburden companies," concludes Tania. "With a partner like us, a company can focus entirely on their business."