Industrial Mobile Networks Siemens Brings Private 5G Network to the US And Upgrades Routers for Edge Applications

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Siemens is bringing its private 5G network to the USA and taking advantage of the gap left by the ban on Chinese network technology. At the same time, 5G routers are being given new edge functions to cope with the growing volumes of data in factories.

Two new radio units covering the 3.8 to 4.2 gigahertz band and the US-specific CBRS band are expanding Siemens' offering. The company will offer its private 5G infrastructure in a total of 15 countries in the future. In addition to the USA, the new markets include Belgium, Canada, Finland, France, Norway, Poland and the UK. While customers in European countries and Canada will be using the technology soon, Siemens is planning to enter the US market in summer 2026.

Strategic Advantage Through US Security Policy

This is happening in a strategically favorable environment: as the US government severely restricts the use of hardware from Chinese suppliers for reasons of national security, American industrial companies are looking for trustworthy providers, i.e. "trusted vendors", such as Siemens. The dedicated CBRS band allows manufacturing companies to set up and operate independent 5G networks on their own premises. They do not involve external mobile network providers and retain full sovereignty over their critical data.

Siemens is also upgrading the hardware on site. The developers are equipping the existing 5G routers with edge runtime environments. This allows applications to run directly on the end device. There is no need for additional hardware, while the systems process data directly on the factory floor in real time. This development is intended to solve a pressing problem in modern manufacturing: Because companies are increasingly using artificial intelligence in their factories, data volumes are growing rapidly. Unlicensed Wi-Fi frequencies are increasingly reaching their limits and becoming overloaded in densely built-up industrial environments. The private 5G infrastructure switches to licensed frequencies and thus provides an interference-free connection for critical business applications.

Autonomy for System Operators

Axel Lorenz, Head of Process Automation at Siemens: "With our private 5G infrastructure, which will soon be available in the US, we are giving manufacturers the tools to build their own reliable and secure digital backbone—on their terms, on their premises and completely under their control."

Siemens designed the solution for industrial applications and integrated it into its Xcelerator portfolio. The plant operator controls the network locally. The system transmits data via automation protocols such as Profinet and allows users to flexibly adjust the capacities for uploads and downloads. Users set up the network via a web-based dashboard in which they only need to change around 20 variables.

TÜV also certified the solution for wireless communication via the Profisafe protocol. This means that the infrastructure also secures critical processes in conjunction with the 5G routers and safety equipment from Siemens.

Planning And Securing Networks Virtually

Siemens is showcasing its industrial networking portfolio at the Hannover Messe (Germany). This combines wired and wireless networks, switching, routing and power supplies. In addition to the 5G infrastructure, the company will be exhibiting the latest switches that connect individual production cells to higher-level network layers. Power supplies from the Sitop series protect the critical communication infrastructure from failures.

Software for network management and diagnostics controls the entire system. Siemens uses the programs from the Sinec family for this. These work according to a zero-trust principle and include a digital twin for industrial networks. Users plan, simulate and test complex architectures on the computer before setting up the devices in the factory. To protect IT systems from cyberattacks, protection solutions monitor data traffic. Plant operators thus build networks that reliably support data-driven production. (mc)

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