5G

What is 5G?

5G is the fifth generation of mobile network technology, standardised by 3GPP to meet the ITU’s IMT-2020 requirements, which delivers wireless communication with high bandwidth, low latency, very high device density, real-time machine communication and logically separated networks through network slicing. Within OT, the Industrial Internet of Things and OT convergence, 5G is mainly of interest as a private, company-owned network: a wireless layer for AGVs, mobile robots, sensors and cameras that offers more predictability than Wi-Fi. 5G does not replace wired fieldbuses everywhere, but it is an important building block of Industry 4.0 and of industrial automation in which machines and vehicles need to move freely.

🧠 How did 5G come about and who standardises it?

In 2015 the ITU set out its vision for a fifth-generation mobile network in the IMT-2020 programme (Recommendation ITU-R M.2083); the minimum performance requirements followed in 2017 in report ITU-R M.2410. The 3GPP partnership writes the technical specifications: the 5G New Radio (NR) radio interface and the 5G Core (5GC). 5G is therefore not a single protocol but a family of specifications that grows with each Release. For industrial use, the releases from 16 onwards matter most.

A practical consequence: many features marketed as “5G”, such as deterministic communication for motion control, require a standalone network and equipment that supports Release 16 or later. A phone or modem that supports only Release 15 mainly delivers faster broadband.

🎯 What are the three usage classes of 5G?

IMT-2020 distinguishes three usage scenarios, each with its own requirements:

• eMBB (enhanced Mobile Broadband) - high data rates for video, vision inspection and AR support during maintenance
• URLLC (Ultra-Reliable Low Latency Communication) - low, predictable delay and very high reliability for control, robotics and safety-related signals
• mMTC (massive Machine Type Communication) - very large numbers of energy-efficient IoT devices, such as sensors for condition monitoring and smart meters; in practice delivered by NB-IoT and LTE-M, which the ITU also recognises as 5G technologies for mMTC; RedCap serves the mid-range segment

These figures are design targets, not guarantees. No network achieves all of them at once; a network is tuned to its most important use case.

🔧 How is a 5G network built?

The architecture of 5G has three parts:

• User Equipment (UE) - the end device with an (e)SIM: a 5G router at a machine, a modem in an AGV, an industrial smartphone or a sensor
• Radio Access Network (RAN) - the base stations (gNB) with antennas in the hall or on the site
• 5G Core - a service-based architecture of software functions such as the AMF (access and mobility), the SMF (sessions) and the UPF (User Plane Function), which forwards data traffic to the company network

The core is software-defined and often runs as containers on Docker or Kubernetes platforms, or through virtualisation as virtual machines on a hypervisor, on premises or in the cloud. This means the UPF can sit locally in the factory, next to edge computing servers running an MQTT broker, an OPC UA gateway or a historian, while the data never leaves the site.

Two concepts determine what an industrial network looks like:

• Non-public network (NPN) - a standalone NPN (SNPN) is fully private, with its own core and spectrum; a public network integrated NPN is a shielded part of an operator’s network, often delivered through network slicing
• Network slicing - one physical network is logically split into slices with their own QoS requirements, for example one slice for control, one for video and one for office IT. Slicing supports segmentation and security, but it does not replace a firewall between zones.

📡 Which frequencies does 5G use in the Netherlands?

3GPP divides 5G spectrum into FR1 (410 MHz to 7.125 GHz) and FR2 (millimetre wave, 24.25 to 71 GHz). Lower frequencies reach further and penetrate walls better; higher frequencies offer more bandwidth but a shorter range. In factories and ports, the mid-band around 3.5 GHz is the most common choice.

Local licences are issued by the Dutch Rijksinspectie Digitale Infrastructuur (RDI), the national digital infrastructure regulator, which also supervises their use. Licence holders in the same area are required to coordinate their use with each other. In the 3.8-4.2 GHz band, the RDI ran a pilot around Schiphol from December 2024 to September 2025 to test whether local 5G networks can coexist with satellite ground stations through dynamic spectrum management; no interference occurred.

🏭 What is 5G used for in industry?

Typical applications by sector:

• Manufacturing - AGVs and AMRs, flexible production lines without cables, wireless HMI panels, cameras for quality control and predictive maintenance
• Ports and logistics - remotely operated cranes, terminal tractors and container tracking across large outdoor areas
• Energy - communication with substations, asset monitoring and telemetry from distributed generation
• Water - remote access and telemetry for pumping stations, often over public networks
• Building Automation - HVAC monitoring and sensors in large complexes

5G carries IP-based industrial protocols such as OPC UA, OPC UA PubSub, MQTT, Modbus TCP and IP without modification. PROFINET and other Layer 2 protocols need Ethernet transport over 5G (Release 16, 5G LAN-type service) or a tunnel. For deterministic traffic, a Release 16 5G system behaves as a logical TSN bridge, with translators on the device and network side and time synchronisation based on gPTP. This allows 5G to become a wireless extension of an Ethernet/TSN network. With high bandwidth and video processing at the edge, 5G also supports anomaly detection and other industrial AI applications in real time.

🔄 When should you choose 5G and when Wi-Fi?

Many organisations combine all three: cabling for fixed machines and motion control with strict cycle times, Wi-Fi for offices and tablets, and 5G for everything that moves or is spread out. For process instrumentation, WirelessHART and LoRaWAN are lower-power alternatives.

🔐 How do you secure an industrial 5G network?

For cybersecurity, 5G has stronger built-in protection than 4G, specified in 3GPP TS 33.501:

• Mutual authentication using 5G-AKA or EAP-AKA’, based on keys stored in the (e)SIM
• SUCI - the permanent identity (SUPI) is sent encrypted over the air, which makes eavesdropping with fake base stations harder
• Encryption and integrity protection of signalling and, optionally, user data

Even so, 5G only protects the connection, not the PLC or HMI behind it. Key risks include misused or stolen SIMs, a poorly secured core or edge server, misconfigured slices, radio jamming and weaknesses at suppliers (supply chain risk). In January 2020 the EU published the 5G Toolbox, with measures that member states can use to restrict high-risk suppliers.

Hardening measures:

• Treat the 5G network as a separate zone in the zones and conduits model of IEC 62443 and place an industrial firewall between the UPF and the OT network
• Apply network segmentation per application, with separate slices or DNNs (the 5G successor of the APN)
• Manage SIMs and device certificates centrally and block lost devices immediately, supported by certificate management
• Use MFA for administrative access to the core and RAN, and set up logging and security monitoring, including for signalling
• Apply Zero Trust: a valid SIM is no proof that a device can be trusted

🛠️ How do you approach a private 5G project?

1. Start with the use case - which devices move, what latency and reliability are needed, and is the data flow mainly uplink (cameras) or downlink? The default TDD split is downlink-heavy, whereas industrial applications often need a lot of uplink.
2. Choose the model - a fully private network with a local licence, an operator slice, or a hybrid with a local UPF.
3. Apply for spectrum - for a private network, a local licence in the 3.5 GHz band, including coordination with neighbours.
4. Carry out a radio survey - steel structures, tanks and cranes cause reflections and shadowing; plan cells and redundancy based on measurements.
5. Check the devices - not every PLC, robot or AGV has a suitable 5G module; check supported bands, Release and industrial certification.
6. Design the security - zones, conduits, firewalls and SIM management in line with IEC 62443 and NIST SP 800-82.
7. Organise operations - patch management for the core and base stations, firmware and configuration management, inclusion in the asset inventory and lifecycle management of modules and SIMs.

Organisations that fall under NIS2, in the Netherlands through the Cyberbeveiligingswet (Cbw), must include the 5G network in their risk assessment; it is covered by the same duty of care as the rest of their IT and OT, which matters for critical infrastructure. ISO 27001 can provide the management framework. The industry association 5G-ACIA (5G Alliance for Connected Industries and Automation) publishes practical guidance for industrial use.

❓ Frequently asked questions

What is private 5G?

Private 5G is a 5G network that serves only one organisation on its own premises, with its own or a shielded core and reserved capacity. In the Netherlands, companies have been able to obtain a local licence in the 3.5 GHz band for this since December 2023. An alternative is a shielded slice from a mobile operator.

Is 5G fast enough for motion control?

5G can support cycle times of a few milliseconds with URLLC and Release 16 features, but this requires a standalone network, suitable equipment and careful radio design. For the fastest servo systems, wired Ethernet or TSN remains the safest choice in practice. 5G is strongest where cables are not an option, such as AGVs and rotating machines.

Is 5G more secure than Wi-Fi?

5G provides mutual authentication via the SIM, encrypted identities and licensed spectrum by default, which makes it harder to connect unnoticed than with many Wi-Fi networks. However, a well-configured WPA3-Enterprise network is also strongly secured. With both technologies, segmentation, firewalls and monitoring of the OT devices behind them remain necessary.

What is the difference between 5G standalone and non-standalone?

With 5G non-standalone, the network uses 5G radios but control runs through a 4G core. 5G standalone has its own 5G Core and is required for features such as network slicing, URLLC and TSN integration. For industrial applications, standalone is therefore the usual choice.

What is network slicing in 5G?

Network slicing divides one physical 5G network into logically separated virtual networks, each with its own requirements for capacity, latency and priority. This lets control traffic take precedence over video or office traffic. Slicing supports network segmentation, but it does not replace a firewall between OT zones.

What is 5G-Advanced?

5G-Advanced is the evolution of 5G from 3GPP Release 18, completed in June 2024. It adds, among other things, AI support in the radio network, better positioning and more energy-efficient IoT devices. 5G-Advanced is the stepping stone to 6G, for which studies begin in Release 20.

📌 In summary

5G is the fifth generation of mobile network technology, standardised by 3GPP, which combines high bandwidth, low latency and massive machine communication through eMBB, URLLC and mMTC, and which as a private network forms a wireless OT layer for everything that moves or is spread out. Industrial value only comes with standalone 5G and Release 16 features, a local licence or operator slice, and security in line with IEC 62443: the SIM protects the connection, not the machine behind it.