A test fragment of the 5G network will be launched at an industrial enterprise for the first time in Ukraine
Vodafone Ukraine jointly with DTEK and Ericsson has announced the launch of the Smart Factory 5G project that will be rolled out at the machine-building plant Corum Miner’s Light manufacturing mining equipment, in Kharkiv. The companies will develop a private 5G network integrating mobile devices, production equipment, various controlling devices, remote and automated control systems.
The 5G technological network from Ericsson will enable the automation of production processes. This is the first time that drones and 360° cameras will be used for remote control and diagnostics of equipment and buildings in Ukraine. In addition to optimizing the manufacturing processes, the launch of the new technology will raise the level of industrial safety as many operations will be performed remotely while timely monitoring will prevent potential accidents.
"Today, we are announcing the launch of Ukraine’s first-ever project that can be aptly described as the project from the future. This is Smart Factory 5G. It is no coincidence that this project came to life: Vodafone is a leader in the world of technologies, and we bring this tremendous experience to Ukraine by launching the solution that combines the cutting-edge technologies: 5G, the internet of things, big data, and artificial intelligence, in cooperation with our partners. We start at the enterprise that is operated by our partner, DTEK, and has a symbolic name: Corum Miner’s Light. The roll-out of the 5G-based Private Network is already in full swing. We are creating a platform where the business can test and use the opportunities offered by 5G-based solutions in practice. Our project is an exemplar of the synergy between the leaders — DTEK and Ericsson, and we work together to create smart production processes," commented Olha Ustynova, Vodafone Ukraine CEO.
"One of DTEK’s goals as a responsible and reliable company is to transform into a digital enterprise where people and technologies interact in unison after 2025. This is why we launched MODUS — a special program for coordinating digital transformation in all DTEK’s business segments," commented Ildar Salieiev, DTEK ENERGY CEO. "Ukraine’s first-ever Smart Factory 5G to be implemented at Corum Miner’s Light will become the project undertaken in our machine engineering segment. It will give us an opportunity to use drones to inspect the most hard-to-reach places on the territory of the enterprise and streamline the process of online transfer of equipment to the client. This is just a testing ground for a pilot project as we really understand that 5G offers much wider opportunities. We expect that we will be able to take advantage of them in the future and receive information from coal cutters operating in mines, and monitor our production equipment to optimize the workload. I am confident that this project will kick start the wide-scale industrial robotic process automation of Ukrainian enterprises."
Ericsson Dedicated Networks that include the Enterprise Core and a radio access system using Ericsson Radio Dot System will be implemented within the scope of the project. Ericsson Enterprise Core is virtualized solution that can be easily scaled up and connect up to 50,000 subscribers. Corum Miner’s Light plant will be equipped with the 5G Private Network and connected with the general corporate infrastructure via reliable communication channels provided by Vodafone.
"In Ericsson, we focus on what we do best: state-of-art technologies and innovations in telecommunications. A private 5G network makes an important element of a company’s infrastructure, enabling it to reach an absolutely new level of production management by automating the process flow. We are pleased to be a technology partner to Ukraine’s first-ever pilot project of a smart factory based on 5G technologies. This is the first step towards the development of smart manufacturing in our country. The success of such projects depends on the efficient and well-coordinated efforts of all parties involved, and I am glad to have this opportunity to work with industry leaders", commented Oleksii Turchyn, Vice-President, Head of ІТ and Digital Solutions at Ericsson, Central Europe and Central Asia.
The participants signed a miner’s hard hat to commemorate the launch of the Smart Factory 5G in Ukraine. Corum Miner’s Light also joined the ceremony by a video link. As the final stage of the Smart Factory 5G announcement, Kostyantyn Naumenko, Head of the Radio Access Network Planning and Development Department at Vodafone, Yurii Hlushchenko, Head of the Digital Service Business Development in Ukraine, Armenia, and Georgia at Ericsson, and Dmytro Osyka, DTEK’s IT Director gave a specialized webinar on the capabilities of Dedicate Networks for business.
All video footage of the press conference and webinar may be viewed by clicking on the following links:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/208976687749688/?ref=newsfeed
YouTube: https://youtu.be/zCXH68UqcNc
About Vodafone
Vodafone is one of the largest global telecommunication companies that offer a broad range of services including mobile voice connection, data transfer, message exchange, landline internet, and cable TV. The operator is present in 21 countries and has partnership agreements with operators from 49 countries. As of 31 March 2021, Vodafone provides services to over 300 million mobile subscribers and 28 million users of landline internet. It also joins over 123 million IoT connections. More detailed information is available at www.vodafone.com.
Vodafone Ukraine is the leading Ukrainian telecommunications company that provides services of high-speed 3G and 4G internet connection in Ukraine. Vodafone’s investments made during the period of active development of high-speed internet from 2015 until Q1 2021 exceeded UAH 29.7 billion.
The record-level investments gave the company an opportunity to become a technology leader and develop a new offering of technological services including the internet of things (IoT), technologies and solutions for Smart City, bid data analysis, Mobile ID, financial, and cloud services. In Ukraine, Vodafone has 19 million clients.
About DTEK (CORUM GROUP)
DTEK is the largest private investor in the Ukrainian energy sector.
DTEK Group produces coal and natural gas, generates electricity at coal-fired, solar and wind power plants, distributes and supplies electricity, supplies electricity to end consumers, provides energy-efficient solutions and develops a network of EV charging stations.
DTEK ENERGY facilitates the closed-loop coal-based electricity generation. The installed capacity of electricity generation is 13.5 GW. The company has created a complete cycle of coal production, starting from coal mining and enrichment and ending in the maintenance of mining equipment and machinery.
CORUM GROUP, being a member company of DTEK ENERGY, is the largest manufacturer of mining equipment in Ukraine. It unites mechanical-engineering assets of DTEK ENERGY, and these are Corum Miner’s Light, Corum Druzhkovka Machine-Building Plant, Corum Minespecialbuild, and Corum Repair. 14 largest mining holding companies with assets that include 150 mines and quarries are among the company’s key clients. Corum’s equipment is operated by mining companies in 15 countries around the world.
About ERICSSON
Ericsson helps operators use all the opportunities offered by communication technologies. The company provides solutions and technologies for communication networks, offers digital services, extended technical support and network maintenance services, and also supports the development of new business segments. We help clients create digital services, boost the efficiency of their business, and find new sources of income. Ericsson’s investments in voice connection services and mobile broadband access bring benefits to billions of people around the world. The company’s shares are actively traded at NASDAQ Stockholm and NASDAQ New York. More detailed information is available at www.ericsson.com.