Betacom, a wireless pioneer and enabler of Industry 4.0 via private 5G wireless networks, has become a partner at mxd, the Digital Manufacturing Institute, and the National Center for Cybersecurity in Manufacturing, and will provide a private 5G network to the organization's Chicago headquarters and Factory Floor Lab. The network, among the first indoor private 5G implementations in the United States, will serve as the basis for developing and enabling technologies that will power Industry 4.0.
Industry 4.0 is a technological revolution that has the potential to reintroduce manufacturing to the United States. Automation, which is at the heart of the movement, has the potential to bring supply lines closer to consumers, eliminate the need for human labor in production, generate new business models, and modify established business models in order to produce next-generation products and services. The high speed and low latency of private 5G networks, along with robust security mechanisms, allow iot installations that drive productivity increases and maximum efficiency in manufacturing, warehousing, and other environments.
Chandra Brown, CEO of mxd said that “Cutting-edge communication capabilities introduce the ability to get data in near real-time to make faster, better-informed decisions in manufacturing facilities across the United States. 5G is an enabling technology that will help unlock potential for manufacturers to be more efficient and competitive, and we are excited to deploy this private network at mxd in partnership with Betacom.”
The industry's first completely private wireless service, Betacom 5G as a Service, is a game changer for many U.S. organizations, providing access to cost-effective, high-performance 5G networks built, installed, and maintained by one of the most trusted brands in wireless networking. Betacom has a longstanding and successful track record of wireless installations in mid-to-large companies, employing carrier-class equipment and experience to fulfill customers' most demanding connection requirements.
Betacom is deploying the mxd network in collaboration with Airspan Networks Inc., a subsidiary of Airspan Networks Holdings Inc., which is delivering the new 5G radio access network, and Druid Software, which is providing the 5G-core software. Betacom handles network design and implementation, with network administration handled by its contemporary cloud-based Security and Service Operations Center (SSOC) based on Zero Trust security design principles.
Betacom CEO Johan Bjorklundsaid that “We are extremely pleased to have joined mxd and look forward to collaborating closely with our partners, who include the most innovative manufacturing technology companies in the world today. The opportunity that this collection of organizations has to truly redefine the nature and the direction of manufacturing globally, and to return manufacturing to the U.S., cannot be overstated. We are incredibly proud to be able to supply the high-performance, highly-secure network that will support those efforts.”
Airspan's end-to-end Open RAN (Radio Access Network) solution, a leader and pioneer, is at the frontline of CBRS shared spectrum connectivity and was the first in the United States to have its 5G CBRS small cells approved by the Federal Communications Commission. Airspan has also played an important role in hastening the development of the 5G CBRS ecosystem by conducting compatibility testing with industry players. Airspan's small cell radios and software enable a variety of virtualization choices based on 3GPP, the O-RAN Alliance, and the Small Cell Forum standards, as well as an all-in-one architectural option.
Airspan is a leader in innovative 5G private network deployments. We are proud to be an integral part of delivering this Industry 4.0 deployment, working with Betacom and Druid to position mxd to accelerate the private network ecosystem for innovative manufacturing use cases.”
Glenn Laxdal, Airspan’s president and chief operating officer said that