Deutsche Telekom looking to flog 5G mmWave to industrial sector

Customers that have already deployed 5G campus networks in mid-band for industry applications can now ‘leverage the potential’ by using 5G mmWave for additional applications, says DT.

Deutsche Telekom trialled 5G frequencies in the mmWave range at 26 gigahertz in industrial environments, giving the example of Ger4tech Mechatronik Center, where autonomous industrial machines and robots were networked with a router in the 5G campus environment.

There, in addition to 5G standalone in the industrial spectrum at 3.7 Ghz, the router also supported mmWave spectrum for the first time, enabled by Telit Cinterion.

5G mmWave, described as having short coverage range and high bandwidth and speeds, has ‘enormous potential’ for development within 5G campus networks and for applications related to autonomous vehicles and the manufacturing industry, says the telco.

The benefits lie in the ability of mmWave to transmit large amounts of data in real time, and the idea as described in the release is that: ‘the 5G millimetre waves come into play when the requirements for communication and data transmission increase, and therefore also when solving more complex tasks.’

“It is important for our industrial customers in the age of artificial intelligence to be able to upload data from machines and thus make it available and analyzable in real time,” said Klaus Werner, Managing Director Business Customers at Telekom Deutschland GmbH. “This is the only way for companies to introduce AI applications sensibly and efficiently and derive great benefits for their business.”

Marco Contento, VP of Product Management, Mobile Broadband at Telit Cinterion added: “We're enabling customers to access unparalleled levels of efficiency, productivity and innovation. Through the seamless integration of 5G mmWave into their operations, every device and process can achieve connectivity at an unprecedented scale. Collaboratively, we're helping to pave the way for industries to streamline operations, anticipate maintenance needs, and a multitude of future possibilities.”

The frequency spectrum around 26 GHz is allocated exclusively to ‘interested parties’ in Germany by the Federal Network Agency and can currently only be used for local applications, says the release. 

Meanwhile in the UK, regulator Ofcom launched a new consultation in April and the sector is awaiting the details of when and in what form an auction will take place.