ArcelorMittal France Partners with Orange & Ericsson to Deploy 5G
Strategic Research Institute
Published on :
24 Nov, 2021, 5:32 am
ArcelorMittal France, Orange Business Services and Ericsson announced the launch of 5G Steel to test 4G/5G connectivity at ArcelorMittal's industrial sites in France over the next three years. Orange Business Services, Ericsson and ArcelorMittal France have developed this project together, including the design of industrial use cases adapted to ArcelorMittal's challenges and business requirements. The project is based on Ericsson's technology leadership within 4G/5G private cellular networks suited for advanced industrial use cases and high-risk sites and Orange Business Services’ integration and support expertise. This deployment will meet the needs for industrial network performance and connected workers and operations in a production environment on complex industrial sites. The benefits include better energy efficiency and worker safety.
The 5G private network provides
1. Extensive coverage to cover all ArcelorMittal's complex industrial sites, both outdoors and indoors. Workers and machine operators can move freely with reliable connectivity anywhere on-site
2. High throughput to meet the high-performance requirements of modelled processes connected devices, production data, etc
3. Low latency to support the deployment of autonomous vehicles and remote-controlled machinery as well as security in high risk areas
4. Network slicing to tailor services to each business process and needs
5. Data security to protect sensitive industrial data on-site
5G Steel will enable ArcelorMittal's plants, starting with Dunkirk, followed by Mardyck in Hauts-de-France and Florange in the Grand Est area, to deploy use cases requiring high-speed cellular connectivity.
Targeted to different business operations (production, maintenance, logistics, etc), these industrial use cases include better worker flexibility and mobility in different situations. In addition, autonomous rail vehicles in Dunkirk and Florange, autonomous road vehicles, remote maintenance with feedback from the field, virtual or augmented reality and safety devices are also relevant use cases.
The French government supports this initiative as part of the France Recovery plan. The Grand Port Maritime de Dunkerque, EasyMile and the Caisse des Dépôts are also among the project partners. The objective is also to enable the digital transformation of the French value chain ecosystem for industrial use cases. From the outset, 5G Steel will cover the Grand Port Maritime de Dunkerque and ArcelorMittal's Digital Labs in Dunkerque and Florange, and tests are being conducted to extend the network to the Hauts-de-France and Grand Est regions.