O2 flags 5G campus network launch for Mercedes Benz

Markus Haas, Chief Executive of Telefónica Deutschland, took to social media to trumpet the opening from September of a long gestated 5G campus network for Mercedes Benz Cars.

Writing on LinkedIn, Haas described the automaker’s Factory 56 in Sindelfingen as one of the most up to date car production sites in the world — “an all-round digital, flexible, and green factory”. Mercedes Benz Cars is due to take over the operation of the 5G network once the installation has been completed.

O2 has been working with network partner Ericsson on the installation of a private 5G network at Factory 56 since at least June last year. The partners have previously trumpeted the deployment as the “first 5G network for automobile production” in the world, and said it would function as a template for other facilities (Telefónicawatch, #136).

The network comprises several 5G small‑cells and a central 5G hub, and is designed to augment production processes.

Campus focus

O2 has been jostling with rivals Telekom Deutschland and Vodafone Germany for airtime around private networks. In late‑2019, the operating business flagged the opening of a 5G campus network in Berlin in collaboration with network partner Nokia, which is providing the small‑cell-based indoor network for the project (Telefónicawatch, #139). The network is being used to upgrade the operator’s existing BASECAMP venue into a “5G Innovationsraum” (innovation space), and to serve as a demonstration of O2’s expertise in building and operating campus networks.

Indeed, the market for campus networks is expected to come to the fore as 5G evolves, and looks set to be a strong focus for O2 once it launches commercial 5G services later in 2020.

The efforts of the German operator also align with the strong interest at Telefónica Group level in the provision of hybrid campus networks that combine public and private LTE and/or 5G networks, in order to support industrial environments (Telefónicawatch, #124, #128, #134, and #138).

Other recent examples of Group activity in the field of private mobile networks can be found in Latin America. Telefônica|Vivo recently teamed up with Nokia to deploy a private LTE network at a mining project for Brazilian mining group Vale. Vivo has also partnered with Brazilian bioenergy producer UISA on the deployment of a private LTE network and IoT technology at a 90,000 hectare farm in Brazil. Meanwhile, Telefónica Peru is partnering with Nokia to deploy a private LTE network for copper miner Minera Las Bambas.