Vodafone has announced a two-year partnership with the Irish Manufacturing Research Centre (IMR) to expand on the first standalone 5G mobile private network (MPN) installed at the facility last year.
The telecoms company will provide a multi-access edge computing (MEC) environment for more secure connectivity and powerful computing at the "edge" of the network in places that previously couldn't be connected.
Vodafone said MEC will enable the development of applications that require low-latency such as telerobotics -- semi-autonomous machines controlled at a distance -- and computer vision systems for automating tasks that can only be done using human vision.
In addition to faster speeds, MEC will also reduce network congestion, improve application performance, and allow for decision making in milliseconds as data can be captured locally without crossing the network.
Vodafone will provide IMR with Internet of Things and augmented reality software tools to carry out trials and create IoT applications, smart processes as well as new KPIs and data-driven business models for what is known as industry 4.0.
In Association with
The organisation will also work closely to test and develop new applications based on 5G communications and EDGE computing.
"We’re really excited to grow our partnership with IMR, and in doing so, enable the next wave of smart manufacturing advancements in Ireland," Sinead Ryan, managing director of Vodafone Business in Ireland, said.
"By building on the power of our 5G Mobile Private Networks, we are now able to layer on additional services such as EDGE computing to bring more and more use cases of innovative emerging technologies on stream within the Irish manufacturing industry."
Micheál Cassidy, IMR chief technology officer, said: “IMR are delighted to extend the 5G testbed capabilities available to Irish manufacturing industry through this partnership with Vodafone. These technologies enable exciting new ways to connect factory systems, bringing the power of the cloud onto the factory floor.
"IMR’s advanced manufacturing pilot factory in Mullingar supports industry in understanding and adopting technologies that deliver the Industry 4.0 factory of the future. Through this partnership, IMR will support our network of companies to understand and deploy 5G enabled technologies and applications in a cost effective and impactful way."
Examples of new use cases in AR, VR and telerobotics that IMR has developed for smart manufacturing since the MPN was installed will be showcased at an event in April.
Photo: Barry Kennedy (left), CEO of IMR; Sheila Kavanagh, Director of Networks at Vodafone Ireland; Michael Cassidy, CTO of IMR, and Sinead Bryan, Managing Director at Vodafone Business Ireland.
