Julian Altevogt

Private 5G in Heavy Industry: Practical Insights from a Steel Plant

How can a driverless transport system with a total weight of 100 tons, coils heated to up to 650 °C, and constantly changing indoor and outdoor environments be operated safely? In this episode, Julian Altevogt from Salzgitter Flachstahl GmbH and Daniel Mai from Siemens AG explain why a private 5G network forms the technological foundation for this use case. The challenge: Large plant areas, harsh environmental conditions, real-time safety communication, and growing requirements for data volumes and availability. Traditional Wi-Fi infrastructures quickly reach their limits due to interference, high installation effort, and limited scalability. The solution: A private 5G campus network using licensed spectrum, clearly defined access control, and high radio stability. It enables reliable safety communication, live transmission of AI-based camera streams, and a robust connectivity foundation for autonomous vehicles. At the same time, Wi-Fi remains in use where single applications or smaller areas can be sufficiently covered. The result: A stable operation that can be scaled step by step – from an initial driving distance of 85 meters to future expansion across larger areas. The episode provides practical insights into how industrial companies approach 5G as infrastructure, which organizational and regulatory aspects must be considered, and why private mobile networks are a key enabler for automation, AI, and secure industrial digitalization. An episode for decision-makers and OT and IT leaders who want to understand real-world 5G applications beyond buzzwords.