Empowering Industry 4.0: The Promise of 5G Deterministic Networks

Vertical industries are leveraging digital transformation to enhance operational efficiency, improve quality, and explore new business models.

The commercialization and deployment of 5G are accelerating this transformation, enabling advancements in core production processes such as asset management, industrial control, and product testing.

Vertical industries are setting stricter requirements for network performance, traditional networks often fall short of these expectations.

This gap has led to the development of 5G deterministic technologies, which ensure predictability in latency, reliability, jitter, and availability. These advancements are a game-changer in network deployment projects.

In my experience managing network rollouts from 2G to 4G, packet-switched (PS) traffic was inherently elastic, adapting dynamically to network conditions. This elasticity made deterministic guarantees impossible, as key performance indicators (KPIs) like delay and throughput fluctuated widely. Admission control based solely on mean throughput, for instance, was not feasible due to these variations.

With 5G, this challenge is addressed through technologies such as Ultra-Reliable Low-Latency Communication (URLLC), Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN), Multi-Access Edge Computing (MEC), and network slicing.

Standardization organizations like 3GPP have progressively developed the framework for 5G deterministic networks. Starting with TSN over 5G in Release 16, subsequent releases have expanded capabilities for industrial applications, such as motion control and collaborative robotics. Similarly, ITU-T has defined test models to evaluate 5G’s deterministic capabilities, and alliances like 5G ACIA are advancing test beds for automation and industrial use cases.

It opens a wide door for private network deployments, enabling the management of critical operations. Private 5G networks are particularly well-suited to deterministic use cases.

However, there is a significant difference between knowing that deterministic networks are feasible and understanding the core underlying technologies        

The gaps between 5G trials capability and industrial requirements

This table shows the peak capabilities exhibited in 5G trials conducted by multiple mobile operators in China at the end of 2023 using 100 MHz of bandwidth in frequency range 1.

5G's SLA capabilities are improving and getting closer to the needs of industrial applications, especially in reliability, latency, and jitter. Some areas, like very low latency and accurate positioning, still need more development, but the trial results show good progress.

What are technologies?

Before diving into tecnologies descriptions, I’d like to share a story from years ago when I was interviewed for a team lead position in one of the Central Asian countries. During the interview, I was asked how I would improve LTE performance and which solutions I preferred: optimizing physical antenna parameters or optimizing feature set parameters. I answered that there is no preferable tool—I treat both as equally important and would choose the most appropriate solution based on the situation. Furthermore, I explained that I would prefer to follow a holistic approach and consider everything available. I passed the interview immediately.

The reason I mentioned this story is to emphasize that you don’t have to stick to one particular fancy-sounding solution. Instead, you should follow a systematic approach to build a deterministic network: precise planning, a technically advanced network, and operational excellence.

By understanding the key underlying technologies, you can identify limitations by design and prepare vectors for possible customization.

There are 12 key technologies for the 3 major directions:

Deterministic network technologies

1. Deterministic Coverage

Role in Deterministic Networks:

• Delivers large-scale, uninterrupted wireless coverage, even in challenging environments.
• Eliminates blind spots in dead-end areas.
• Leverages advanced technologies like Polar/RS channel coding and enhanced frame structures.

Challenges:

• Precision is required in planning pRRU and RHUB placements to avoid inefficiencies.
• Redundant coverage, while essential, may add complexity and cost.

Deployment Insights:

• Conduct detailed site surveys to determine optimal hardware placement.
• Fine-tune configurations to counter environmental interference or obstructions.
• Use enhanced signal processing techniques to boost coverage performance in dense or high-interference areas.

In the 2G era, network planning was largely focused on coverage and voice quality. With 3G and 4G, the focus shifted to data capacity and speed, but deterministic performance remained elusive. Today, 5G network planning is a complex, multi-layered process that balances coverage, capacity, and deterministic performance. My experience with earlier generations has taught me the importance of meticulous site surveys and proactive optimization, lessons that are even more critical in the 5G era."

2. Deterministic Isolation

Role in Deterministic Networks:

• Ensures robust service isolation between Virtual Network (VN) groups.
• Reduces cross-VN interference and ensures seamless group communication.
• Enhances operational reliability while reducing failures and power consumption.

Challenges:

• Effective VN isolation depends heavily on proper group size and configurations.
• Multicast and broadcast communication require additional tuning for low-latency scenarios.

Deployment Insights:

• Design VN groups tailored to enterprise security and operational requirements.
• Optimize group management mechanisms to prevent traffic congestion.
• Implement dynamic error tolerance adjustments to maintain service stability.

3. Precise Routing

Role in Deterministic Networks:

• Offloads traffic locally at the UPF, reducing core network load and latency.
• Keeps sensitive production data within secure campus networks.
• Enables seamless cross-campus routing with minimal hardware upgrades.

Challenges:

• UPF and local traffic classifiers need careful optimization for high traffic volumes.
• Resource limitations at the UPF or base station may restrict scalability.

Deployment Insights:

• Develop UPF traffic rules to prioritize critical data flows while optimizing resource use.
• Configure base station classifiers for efficient routing tailored to specific campus or factory layouts.
• Integrate edge computing to complement routing and enhance performance in high-demand environments.

Deterministic Communication Technologies

Tiered Deterministic Bandwidth Assurance

Role in Deterministic Networks:

• Ensures guaranteed bandwidth and isolation for critical applications across multiple user levels.

Challenges:

1. Balancing resource allocation between deterministic and non-deterministic traffic.
2. Ensuring consistent Quality of Service (QoS) for large-scale deployments.
3. Handling scalability and varying user demands (e.g., high GBR user density).

Deployment Insights:

• Use hierarchical resource reservation (e.g., GBR + RB Resource Reservation) to address diverse user needs.
• Prioritize isolation for critical traffic in large industrial setups to mitigate interference.
• Monitor and adjust the GBR levels dynamically based on traffic patterns.

One of the key lessons from managing 3G and 4G networks was the importance of scalability. Early deployments often struggled to handle sudden spikes in data traffic, leading to congestion and service degradation. We should apply these lessons by designing networks with built-in scalability and flexibility, ensuring they can adapt to the growing demands of vertical industries

Flexible Time Synchronization

Role in Deterministic Networks:

• Maintains precise timing for devices and applications, enabling coordinated communication and process synchronization.

Challenges:

1. Integrating PTP time servers with existing legacy systems.
2. Ensuring reliability with primary and backup synchronization paths.
3. Minimizing synchronization delays over diverse network conditions.

Deployment Insights:

• Deploy multiple PTP servers (primary and backup) to ensure redundancy.
• Use dedicated synchronization interfaces (e.g., SIB9) to reduce latency.
• Ensure compatibility with GPS, BDS, and local time sources for accurate time dissemination.

Low Latency/Bounded Jitter Control

Role in Deterministic Networks:

• Reduces delays and jitter to maintain consistent communication for time-sensitive industrial operations.

Challenges:

1. Configuring pre-scheduling and slot repetition for consistent latency.
2. Implementing hardware optimizations (e.g., TSN, RT-PATCH) without impacting cost.
3. Managing uplink and downlink jitter in dense industrial environments.

Deployment Insights:

• Deploy TSN (Time-Sensitive Networking) for precise scheduling in industrial devices.
• Optimize queuing mechanisms on UPF and PLC to avoid bottlenecks.
• Use frame structure enhancements and slot repetition for critical, high-reliability traffic.

One of the most rewarding aspects of my career has been working with cross-functional teams to solve complex network challenges. During a 3G and 4G rollouts, my teams spent weeks troubleshooting latency issues in a dense urban environment. The experience taught us the value of collaboration and innovation, principles that will continue to guide our approach to 5G deployments today.

Low-Cost, Low-Power Communications

Role in Deterministic Networks:

• Supports IoT devices and applications with minimal energy consumption while maintaining reliable communication.

Challenges:

1. Ensuring consistent data transfer rates for low-power devices across varying network conditions.
2. Balancing deployment cost and energy efficiency for massive IoT applications.
3. Transitioning from current 4G technologies (NB-IoT, Cat 1) to future 5G solutions (RedCap, Passive IoT).

Deployment Insights:

• Deploy a mix of 4G NB-IoT and 5G RedCap to ensure backward compatibility during the transition phase.
• Leverage adaptive modulation techniques for better power efficiency in constrained devices.
• Focus on aligning device capabilities with application requirements (e.g., sensor data vs. video streaming).

Deterministic Guaranty Technologies

Accurate Transmission and Reception

Role in Deterministic Networks:

• Guarantees reliable data delivery through Frame Replication and Elimination for Reliability (FRER) and Layer 2 (L2) tunneling to maintain deterministic performance.

Challenges:

1. Configuring FRER to minimize redundancy while maximizing reliability.
2. Maintaining L2 session integrity across dynamic network conditions.
3. Synchronizing data flows between UPF and Data Network (DN).

Deployment Insights:

• Deploy FRER for critical industrial communication, ensuring end-to-end path redundancy.
• Configure L2 tunneling to isolate deterministic traffic from general network traffic.
• Monitor UPF performance to avoid bottlenecks in data delivery.

I remember working with my team to optimize a network for a corporate transport company that needed to monitor fleet efficiency in real-time. We struggled with reliability and delay determination, as the existing 3G/4G network couldn’t consistently deliver the low latency and high reliability required for real-time tracking and analytics. Despite our best efforts, we faced frequent packet loss and delays, which made it impossible to provide deterministic guarantees. At the time, we wished we had access to technologies like FRER and L2 tunneling, which are now integral to 5G deterministic networks. These technologies would have allowed us to replicate critical data frames across multiple paths, ensuring redundancy and reliability, while L2 tunneling could have isolated the transport company’s traffic from general network congestion. It was a frustrating experience, but it highlighted the importance of accurate transmission and reception in mission-critical applications

Inertial Operation

Role in Deterministic Networks:

• Provides continuity in 5G Core services during control plane failures, maintaining active user sessions.

Challenges:

1. Designing fault-tolerant UPF configurations for uninterrupted user data paths.
2. Mitigating control plane failures (e.g., N2/N4 breaks) without impacting service.
3. Balancing resource allocation between the user and control planes.

Deployment Insights:

• Implement enhanced UPF (UPF+) with additional fault-tolerance features for service continuity.
• Use proactive health checks to predict and preempt N2/N4 failures.
• Establish backup links for control plane signaling to mitigate disruptions.

System-Level Restoration

Role in Deterministic Networks:

• Enables robust recovery mechanisms across multiple network layers to handle failures and maintain service availability.

Challenges:

1. Coordinating disaster recovery across link, virtualization, and network element layers.
2. Preventing signaling storms and ensuring hot migration under scheduled operations.
3. Configuring dual-active planes for real-time redundancy.

Deployment Insights:

• Deploy dual-path protection with Bidirectional Forwarding Detection (BFD) for rapid link restoration.
• Use gray upgrades to mitigate risks during system changes.
• Ensure redundancy at RRU, BBU, and UPF layers for full system resilience.

End-to-End Security Protection

Role in Deterministic Networks:

• Establishes a comprehensive security framework across device, control, network, application, and data layers to protect deterministic services.

Challenges:

1. Preventing intrusion while maintaining low-latency deterministic communication.
2. Securing control protocols to avoid unauthorized network access.
3. Balancing encryption overheads with performance requirements.

Deployment Insights:

• Deploy robust firewall protection and identity authentication mechanisms at all layers.
• Use comprehensive security auditing tools to ensure end-to-end compliance.
• Prioritize lightweight encryption techniques to maintain real-time performance.

Precise Problem Localization

Role in Deterministic Networks:

• Identifies and resolves performance issues in deterministic network segments with detailed Quality of Service (QoS) monitoring.

Challenges:

1. Detecting root causes of performance degradation in multi-segment networks.
2. Integrating SDKs and probes without impacting network throughput.
3. Maintaining visibility across 5G UE, base stations, transmission networks, and UPFs.

Deployment Insights:

• Deploy SDK-based QoS monitoring at multiple points in the network.
• Use dedicated probes to trace performance issues from devices to the server.
• Implement Ping/SDK servers for real-time diagnostic data collection and analysis.

One of the most stressful periods in my career was when my teams struggled to debug a network handling low throughput complaints from major B2B clients. The timing was always critical—business managers were desperate, and there were constant threats of clients moving to competitors. The process of problem localization and root cause identification often took weeks, as we had to manually sift through logs and performance data across multiple network segments. It was a frustrating and exhausting experience, especially when we knew that every minute of downtime or poor performance was costing our clients money. At the time, we didn’t have the tools for precise problem localization, such as SDK-based QoS monitoring or dedicated probes, which would have allowed us to pinpoint issues in real-time and resolve them before they escalated

Real cases analysis

Key Challenges in Automotive Manufacturing & 5G Deterministic Network Solutions

Circuit Wear and Tear in Flexible Valve Islands

• Challenge:?Frequent exchanges of welding guns lead to mechanical strain.
• Solution:?Use Resilient Network Functions?for high availability and Low Latency/Bounded Jitter Control?to minimize delays and reduce wear.

Real-Time Monitoring with High Sensor Density

• Challenge:?50–60 sensors require 99.99% network availability for real-time tracking.
• Solution:?Deploy Deterministic Bandwidth Assurance?for guaranteed resources and Precise Routing?with UPF sinking to reduce latency.

Real-Time Control of AGVs

• Challenge:?Meter-level positioning accuracy is required for safe transport.
• Solution:?Implement Flexible Time Synchronization?with PTP servers and Low Latency/Bounded Jitter Control?for stable AGV operations.

High Uplink Bandwidth for 4K Industrial Cameras

• Challenge:?Quality inspection requires 10 cameras with 250 Mbps uplink bandwidth.
• Solution:?Use FRER?for reliable bandwidth and TSN?to optimize bandwidth allocation.

Simultaneous Fulfillment of SLA Grades

• Challenge:?Multiple processes demand different service levels.
• Solution:?Combine Pre-Scheduling, 5G LAN, TSN, and UPF Sinking?to meet SLA requirements and adjust dynamically with Error Tolerance Adjustments.

Business Benefits:

• Wireless Transformation Time: Reduced by 85.7%.
• Annual Downtime: Reduced by 98%, ensuring reliable production.

Key Challenges in Steel Manufacturing & 5G Deterministic Network Solutions:

?

AI-Based Steel Surface Quality Inspection?

• Challenge:?4K video from two line-scanning color cameras requires 586 Mbps uplink bandwidth for high-speed photography and instant transmission.
• Solution:?Use Accurate Transmission and Reception?(FRER) for reliable data delivery and MEC?to provide AI computing power for real-time steel surface inspection.

?

Remote Control of Cranes in Hazardous Areas?

• Challenge:?Ensuring safe remote crane operation without exposing operators to hazardous environments.
• Solution:?Deploy Low Latency/Bounded Jitter Control?and Pre-Scheduling?to achieve 4ms latency and 99.999% reliability, enabling safe crane operation.

?

Heavy-Duty AGVs for Seamless Goods Transfer?

• Challenge:?Heavy-duty AGVs must operate seamlessly across the factory for efficient material handling.
• Solution:?Leverage Precise Routing?with Deterministic Bandwidth Assurance?to ensure smooth, uninterrupted AGV movement with minimal delays.

Simultaneous Fulfillment of SLA Grades?

• Challenge:?Different processes (crane control, AI inspection, AGVs) require varied service levels (e.g., L4, U1+U3+U1).
• Solution:?Combine TDD, 5G LAN, and NSC?to meet multiple SLA requirements while maintaining low latency and high reliability

Business Benefits:

• On-Site Personnel Reduction: 65% fewer personnel required on-site due to remote crane control and automation.
• Defect Detection Rate: AI-based quality inspection achieves a 90% defect detection rate.
• Production Capacity Loss Reduction: Reduced by 92%, helping to meet greenhouse gas emissions goals and lower costs.

Conclusion

To build a deterministic network, organizations need a holistic approach that combines innovative architecture, advanced functionality, and strong operational practices. By focusing on these three pillars, networks can meet the strict demands of modern applications, from ultra-low latency industrial systems to secure enterprise solutions, and enable the next generation of reliable, predictable communication

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