ArcelorMittal France unveils the operational launch of 5G Steel, the largest 4G/5G network in industrial settings, in collaboration with Orange Business Services and Ericsson. The French government, through its France Relance economic revival plan, supports this initiative, which has now made it possible for the first industrial applications to be implemented at the ArcelorMittal facility in Dunkerque. ArcelorMittal, a multinational steel-making company headquartered in Luxembourg, Ericsson, a Swedish multinational networking and telecommunications company, and Orange, a French multinational telecommunications corporation, have collaborated on this 5G Specific Industry use case. The 5G steel was first launched by ArcelorMittal in November 2021 as the first industrial use cases requiring enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB).
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Industrial use cases of 5G Steel
The Connected Operator
The ability to move people and processes facilitated by 5G Steel revolutionises work in industrial settings. For instance, on the hot strip rolling mill, data collection, input, and sharing tasks can be performed more efficiently and effectively using tablets. This includes inspections during maintenance operations, safety audits, and lockout/tagout procedures.
Steel recycling
ArcelorMittal's recycled steel yard management is made easier through extensive coverage and high data transfer speeds (throughput). Steel is weighed and scanned upon arrival at the site to determine its density and composition. This information is then quickly transmitted by quality control operators in the field through 5G Steel. Machinery operators, such as cranes and stackers, receive the data directly from the production program and can provide updates on their actions through 5G Steel.
5G Steel Configuration
- 9 radio sites with 4X4 MiMo antennas to cover the Dunkerque and Mardyck sites
- 1 core with dynamic geographic redundancy to manage up to 50,000 users
- 1 monitoring tool to manage and operate the 5G Steel network
- 19 Cradlepoint routers, a subsidiary of Ericsson
- 80% of the area is above speed targets
Future Use Cases
In the future, ArcelorMittal's sites will see the development of other mobility initiatives in work settings, autonomous rail vehicles in Dunkerque and Florange, autonomous road vehicles, widespread use of mobile maintenance with field information feedback, virtual and augmented reality applications, and safety devices.
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5G Steel's capabilities meet the challenges of the Industry through extensive coverage, High Speed, low latency, Network Slicing, and Data Security.
The goal of deploying 5G Steel is to foster growth in the French ecosystem around the value chain of industrial applications. The network will cover the primary seaport of Dunkerque and ArcelorMittal's Digital Labs in Dunkerque and Florange, with tests underway to expand the coverage to the Hauts-de-France and Grand Est regions.
5G Steel is currently in use on ArcelorMittal's sites in Dunkerque and Mardyck in northern France and will be extended to additional sites, including Florange in eastern France, in 2023.
