Category: Blog

Industry 4.0 is best served by private 5G networks – particularly for demanding applications within the manufacturing and process industries. Plug-and-play 5G connectivity makes it possible to efficiently support the wide range of wireless communication applications needed in smart manufacturing including real-time applications, preventive maintenance and remote operations. With private 5G networks, enterprises can enjoy optimized, reliable, and secure wireless connectivity with on-premises data management for increased flexibility and efficiency.

With this in mind, MFA is excited to share that we have established a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with 5G-ACIA, the global leading organization for driving and shaping Industrial 5G. Our joint efforts will help advance the adoption of 5G private networks in manufacturing and process industries, encouraging more companies to take advantage of the spectrum options available around the world.

Officially, the MoU establishes an open communication channel for exchanging information between the two organizations for the development of joint industry white papers, market research efforts, and collective event participation. More importantly, we are confident that this MoU will amplify the efforts of both organizations, our members, and the global ecosystem as well, to facilitate 5G private network deployments so that enterprises experience the benefits of a dedicated, optimized and secure network now.

The leadership of both organizations shared their thoughts regarding the impact of this MoU:

Mazen Chmaytelli, MFA President

“MFA welcomes the opportunity to partner with 5G-ACIA to jointly advance the global 5G private network adoption in manufacturing and process industries. With this partnership we can combine resources in targeted efforts to accelerate 5G private network adoption for industrial applications.”

Dr. Andreas Mueller, 5G-ACIA Chair

“Private networks play a crucial role for the adoption of 5G in the industrial domain due to special performance, security and business requirements. Therefore, 5G-ACIA has played a pivotal role in the development of private mobile networks ever since. We are very excited to join forces with MFA in order to lay the foundation for a more widespread adoption of private networks in the manufacturing and process industries in future.”

Read the full press release and look for updates on joint activities of both organizations in the days ahead. In the meantime, be sure to follow MFA on Twitter and LinkedIn and 5G-ACIA on Twitter and LinkedIn.

As the alliance for private networks, MFA is providing a new resource center for enterprises seeking information on how to simplify deployment of their own private network that meets 3GPP standards. These free tools include technology blueprints for 5G private network deployment, an interactive map displaying available spectrum options, state of private network tracker to give a pulse on industry adoption, our monthly newsletter, and the MFA network identifier program. Continue reading for a closer look!

Uni5G – The Uni5G technology blueprints leverage 3GPP 5G standards to define profiling and classification requirements, enabling enterprises to deploy their own optimized, reliable, and secure 5G private network. The blueprints provide recommended key functionalities for coverage, reliability, connection density, and latency. Enterprises can then share the blueprints with equipment manufacturers to facilitate their automation goals in locally licensed, shared, and unlicensed spectrum. Download the blueprints here.

Interactive spectrum map – MFA developed an interactive spectrum map that allows enterprises to identify the available spectrum for their individual country and/or region. The map will be regularly updated and is hosted on the MFA website for easy reference. Be sure to bookmark the page for the latest availability in your area.

State of private network tracker – In partnership with industry analyst firm Mobile Experts, MFA’s state of private network tracker sheds light on the number of deployments and the state of private networks across a variety of industry verticals and regions where they are gaining ground. MFA is committed to monitoring this information and sharing it with anyone interested in learning more about the private network opportunity. For more, download the Private Network Market Update report.

MFA Insights – Private Networks Report newsletter – Our recently launched newsletter provides enterprises with regular updates on advancements in private network deployment, industrial use cases, and information to help you connect with the resources and tools – including white papers, case studies, and specification updates – the Alliance provides. Subscribe today at www.mfa-tech.org/newsletter.

Network Identifier Program – This MFA program enables enterprises who deploy private networks anywhere in the world to get their own unique network identifier (PLMN-ID). The unique network identifier is critical to authenticate devices connected to a private cellular network, ensuring increased reliability and security.

Look for more from MFA in future blogs.

As you may have noticed from our refreshed website, MFA has had a pivotal year. The Alliance was excited to participate in industry events and share updates that are already having an impact on enterprises around the globe.

To promote the launch of our new resource center for enterprises seeking to deploy their own 5G private networks, MFA President Mazen Chmaytelli was invited to present at the September 5G-ACIA (5G Alliance for Connected Industries and Automation) plenary meeting. During his presentation, Mazen introduced the Uni5G™ technology blueprints and our other recently-launched private network resources to attending 5G-ACIA members. We were also pleased to sponsor the 5G-ACIA Industry Day and are identifying further opportunities for collaboration.

The following week, MFA was proud to sponsor and exhibit at Hannover Messe USA – one of the largest gatherings of industrial manufacturing in North America, attracting visitors looking to discover technologies and services for Industry 4.0. Starting the show off, MFA sponsored the Solutions Theater on Monday, sharing the exciting developments in private networks for Industry 4.0, manufacturing solutions, and trends. MFA president Mazen Chmaytelli and MFA Technical Specification Group Chair Asimakis Kokkos both provided presentations to the gathering and shared the benefits of private networks for manufacturing facilities. They also discussed the ways enterprises can leverage MFA tools to ensure that their private network is able to meet their unique requirements for coverage, reliability, connection density, security, and latency.

Earlier this month, we also had the unique opportunity to exhibit at GITEX Global in the Dubai World Trade Centre. MFA representatives were on-site to share the benefits of private networks and promote how the Uni5G technology blueprints, MFA Network Identifier Program, and MulteFire technology can simplify private network deployments for enterprises across industry verticals in the Middle East region.

Interested in meeting MFA representatives? We will be attending the following upcoming event:

5G Manufacturing Forum – November 1, Virtual Event
MFA is a proud sponsor of the upcoming “5G Manufacturing Forum” Digital Forum. Registration for the free event provides attendees an opportunity to learn how they can leverage 5G connectivity for smart manufacturing. MFA Technical Specification Group Chair Asimakis Kokkos will present in the “Designing a future-proofed industrial 5G network” panel session. Stay tuned for time and registration specifics!

By Asimakis Kokkos, MFA Technical Specification Group Chair

MFA is proud to announce the completion of our first set of Uni5G™ Technology Blueprints based on 3GPP Release 15. These blueprints were developed to help industry verticals deploy their own 5G private networks that are designed specifically to meet their requirements for coverage, reliability, connection density, and latency.

We started this project over a year ago when we partnered with Beecham Research to interview industries operating around the world in a variety of sectors to assess their connectivity requirements. Based on their responses, we were able to identify four attributes that were required beyond baseline enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB).

Identify 3GPP Features
The second step was to identify the exact 3GPP features in Release 15 that industry verticals should implement to achieve coverage, reliability, connection density and low latency for their deployment scenario. 3GPP Release 15 has hundreds of features to choose from so this can be an overwhelming task for industry verticals that are not telecom experts. After extensive review, we narrowed down the options to 10 feature categories – with each category including between one and nine features with a total of 35 features.

Mapping Feature Categories to 3GPP Features
The next step was the mapping. We looked at each feature category and mapped the 3GPP features required to support each industry attribute.

What we found in our mapping is that the features that support coverage also improve reliability. And the features that support connection density also reduce latency. So, if an industry vertical wants to ensure that their network deployment will support their connection density requirements, they will also gain the advantage of lower latency.

The mapping resulted in three Uni5G blueprint families.

• Uni5G Technology Blueprint 15.1 which supports reliability and coverage requirements.
• Uni5G Technology Blueprint 15.2 which supports latency and density requirements.
• Uni5G Technology Blueprint 15.3 which supports all requirements.

Within each blueprint family, we also identified a “basic” version and an “extended” version. Each extended version implements a few additional features. This provides industry verticals with the option to purchase and deploy either a basic or high-end device that will work best for them. For example, a port operator can take the Uni5G Technology Blueprint to their vendor of choice and let them know which features their devices need to implement.

By combing through the hundreds of 3GPP features and identifying just the features needed for private network deployments by industry verticals, MFA is taking the guess work out of the process. With Uni5G Technology Blueprints, MFA is realizing its mission to provide a simplified path to 5G private networks.

Download the Uni5G Technology Blueprints here.

By Scott Fischel, Certification Working Group Chair

The new MFA Private Network Identifier Program

Private networks have been gaining ground as enterprises and industry verticals recognize the benefits of owning, controlling, and innovating with their own network. For manufacturing, supply chain and logistics, maritime, oil and gas, mining and other vertical industries, the benefits include the following:

• Increased coverage – that can extend across an entire facility or industrial site;
• Increased security – by safeguarding the data that runs over the network while maintaining network control on premise;
• Increased productivity – through more automation and remote control;
• Reduced downtime and optimized maintenance costs – by tracking machine health;
• Increased mobility – enabled by seamless handover between small cells; and
• Improved worker safety and well-being.

For these private networks that are enabling business-critical communications, it is essential that only authorized devices connect to the network.

This is where the MFA comes in.

Earlier this year, the ITU awarded MFA with a unique global PLMN ID. As part of our mission to champion the global adoption of private networks based on 3GPP technologies, we are now making these network identifiers available to any industry vertical, network equipment suppliers, and operators through our new Network Identifier program.

This program offers a Private Network ID package and a Neutral Host Network package. Each package includes all of the network identifiers required to create distinct private networks or neutral host networks that can be deployed anywhere in the world. For large deployments, companies have the option to purchase additional identifiers.

Package subscription fees will need to be renewed every two years.

For our member companies, we are pleased to offer complimentary packages based on membership level. Learn about our additional membership benefits here.

Join as a Private Network Subscriber

To help enable industry verticals to get started, we’ve also created a new Private Network Subscriber category that offers non-members access to one free Private Network ID Package. For a one-time fee of $250, our subscribers can leverage a complete package without having to pay a biennial renewal fee.

Got questions about how to get your own Private Network ID or to join MFA? Check out our FAQ or contact our Program Administrator.

By Patrik Lundqvist, Qualcomm

As MFA (MulteFire Alliance) supports the adoption of private 5G, we actively engage with industry experts such as ABI Research to better understand the current market scope and key industry participants.

Below we’ll take a look at specific enterprises that ABI Research found would benefit from MulteFire and 5G NR-U (5G New Radio in Unlicensed) private wireless technology:

Industrial Manufacturing

In the wake of industry 4.0, production processes are becoming more complex and the number of machines and components requiring connectivity are steadily increasing. Because of this, reliability and network availability are of high importance, and 66 percent of manufacturers favor private network deployment scenarios, according to the report.

Use cases include motion control, mobile control panels and process automation. These machinery use cases demand unique low-latency requirements that private 5G networks can provide. Further, private 5G networks will help prevent valuable production losses due to network unavailability. As manufacturers look to address these performance requirements, ABI Research forecasts that the Total Addressable Market (TAM) for private network equipment in industrial manufacturing will grow to US $15.06 billion by 2030.

Ports & Logistics

In shipping ports and logistics environments, the requirements for automating processes are strict, and the operational benefits gained from automating these workflows are large. These processes could include the remote operation of ship loading cranes and real-time operation of Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) and Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs).

Deploying private 5G networks in these environments will strengthen network reliability and help enable the latencies they require. Real-world deployment scenarios, such as the port of Hamburg and the Shanghai Yangshan Port in China prove that automating workflows can reduce port operation costs by 70% and boost the Quality of Service.

Mining & Energy

The mining and energy industry has a particularly hazardous environment. The main benefits of automation are to reduce potential exposures for manual workers and create safer, more efficient workflows. Cellular networks on these sites are used for mission-critical communications, and a simple loss of network signal could cause major disruptions to the entire site’s operations. Consequently, network reliability and availability are of critical importance, and operating a private onsite cellular network will provide confidence in network integrity and performance. ABI Research studies find that the private network equipment market in mining and energy is expected to increase from US $116.86 million in 2020 to US $8.13 billion in 2030.

Realizing the robust opportunity for private 5G, MFA looks forward to supporting 3GPP 5G NR-U technology and offering its expertise to enterprises looking to deploy their own private 5G network.

For a more detailed look at enterprise 5G deployment, spectrum availability and enterprise use cases, we encourage you to read the full ABI Research white paper.

Scott Fischel, MFA Certification Work Group Chair, interviews Luisa Natividad Caro García of DEKRA Testing and Certification, S.A.U.

To support the MulteFire 1.9 GHz (sXGP) Certification Program, the MFA announced its first MFA Authorized Test Lab (ATL) at DEKRA in Yokohama, Japan. In November 2020, the MFA announced that DEKRA’s lab in Malaga, Spain, was the MFA’s second ATL, approved for performing MulteFire 1.0 Certification testing. DEKRA has been an active supporter of the MFA’s efforts to deliver MulteFire technology in unlicensed and shared spectrum bands for private LTE networks and is the world’s largest unlisted expert organization in the TIC (testing, inspection, certification) industry.

We spoke with DEKRA’s Luisa Natividad Caro García (Nati) about the key role certification plays in ensuring industry standards and the certification process for MulteFire 1.0 devices:

What is your professional experience with certification testing?
For more than 20 years, I have been involved in testing and certification activities for various technologies such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, 2G, 3G, 4G/LTE and more, in different capacities including project management and team leader. Currently, as the Wireless Laboratory Manager at DEKRA Testing and Certification, S.A.U., I manage a lab consisting of 17 employees.

Why is a certification program critical for the success of industry standards?
Certification programs play a key role in ensuring devices can successfully interoperate, as manufacturers can implement standards in different ways. Certification programs utilize test labs, such as the DEKRA ATLs, to ensure devices work as expected and to provide the proper guidance if not.

In addition, they can play a large role in expanding an industry standard’s ecosystem. Once vendors certify the first products, this encourages additional vendors to follow suit. In this case, we expect the recently certified Nokia MulteFire 1.0 user equipment to foster growth within the MulteFire ecosystem.

What are the benefits of certifying my device at the DEKRA ATL? Can’t vendors prove specification conformance on their own?
DEKRA’s vast experience with certification testing is unmatched, as we not only offer testing services but provide recommendations on how to solve the potential conformance and interoperability issues. This consulting aspect is particularly beneficial, as opposed to relying on internal testing. In addition, participating in the MulteFire Certification Programs is a crucial step to minimize the risk of issues when products are in the field.
As DEKRA is an official MFA Authorized Test Lab (ATL), vendors with MFA-certified devices can add the MFA logo seal to their products. This offers the end-user assurance that the device will work properly, and in-turn positively influence purchasing decisions.

What is DEKRA’s experience with industry standard certification programs?
DEKRA offers services in a wide variety of aspects related to certification and is present in many key regions offering regulatory, conformance, interoperability, performance, usability and field testing. We have extensive experience in providing consulting services for associations to define their certification program and provide tests for standard development. DEKRA helps to create customized test tools for certification testing and has adapted its existing tools to match MulteFire requirements.

What devices are eligible for MulteFire 1.0 Certification? Is there anything I need to do to prep my device for MulteFire 1.0 Certification testing?
For the MulteFire 1.0 Certification Program, DEKRA tests eNodeB (eNB) radio access network elements and user equipment (UE). We test this combined ecosystem of eNBs and UEs, making sure that the implementation of MulteFire 1.0 standard in the device is correct, according to the current scope of certification defined by the MFA.

Those interested in viewing the detailed requirements for MulteFire 1.0 Certification testing are encouraged to review the project management document as provided by the MFA Certification Work Group. In summary, manufacturers must provide the final hardware, and preferably also the software. It is expected that your devices will be close to final commercialization.

The vendor will provide the corresponding antennas for their devices, the Evolved Packet Core (EPC) in case of eNB certification, as well as the required guidelines to connect their pieces to the ecosystem.

What tests are conducted for MulteFire 1.0 Certification?
The MulteFire 1.0 Certification Program tests for both conformance and interoperability. Conformance testing ensures that devices have properly conformed to the MulteFire 1.0 standard and is done in a lab environment using specialized test equipment to perform RF parametric and protocol testing. Interoperability testing helps to test coexistence with other technologies. Since MulteFire 1.0 technology operates in unlicensed spectrum, it is important to make sure devices implementing MulteFire 1.0 successfully coexist with Wi-Fi and similar technologies.

To test for interoperability, DEKRA checks that the device works with reference implementations in environments that represent typical use cases. This involves checking how UEs interact with eNBs, testing vendor eNBs to a reference UE and vice versa. To determine how the device interacts with Wi-Fi, DEKRA creates data transfers within the Wi-Fi link and MulteFire link and assesses the impact of both.

Does DEKRA and the MFA Certification Work Group have any plans to test for conformance metrics in the future?
Ultimately, our goal is to expand the conformance testing for MulteFire. This expansion could potentially include the use of third-party tools such as Sanjole WaveJudge analyzer to test specific modes and conformance metrics.

How long does certification take?
In accordance with full MFA Certification Work Group (CWG) requirements, certification could take anywhere between one to two weeks, dependent on the availability of reference devices.

What are some common development errors that could be avoided prior to certification testing?
In our experience, manufacturers often do not follow the Technology Specifications in detail when developing the product for testing. The manufacturer should consider the requirements of the technology specifications as well as the certification testing requirements during the design and development stages so that the product under test is more likely to be compliant. Otherwise, when failures are encountered at the certification stage, a re-design will be required to correct those failures, leading to higher costs and delays to time to market.

In addition, the vendor should consider the specific sample preparation requirements that are applicable to the device for the certification programs. Often, we see the vendor does not provide the prepared samples for testing, e.g. without the required RF, power and data connectors/cables, without the needed test modes, or without enabling internal logging. However, it is important to note that the certification scheme should indicate the mandatory sample preparations that must be compiled in order to make a device suitable for certification, or the certification scheme will provide alternate test procedures and/or waivers for devices that cannot comply with such requirements by design.

What if my device doesn’t pass MulteFire 1.0 Certification?
If your device does not pass MulteFire 1.0 certification, the next steps are to identify where the issue is, and DEKRA will help provide consultation to solve this issue. As the MulteFire 1.0 Certification program progresses, this consultation will improve as we gain more experience in MulteFire 1.0 technology testing.
MFA Ecosystem Expansion

The MFA thanks Nati for sharing her experience with DEKRA certification testing and her insight into the importance of certifying devices. We look forward to continuing collaboration with the DEKRA ATLs as the MulteFire ecosystem expands

If you’d like to participate in the MulteFire 1.0 or MulteFire 1.9 GHz Certification programs, please fill out this form to get in touch with the MFA Certification Authority.

By Scott Fischel, MFA Certification Working Group Chair and Director of Technical Standards, Qualcomm

 As a complement to the MulteFire 1.0 Certification Program, the MulteFire Alliance (MFA) is now offering the MulteFire 1.0 Regulatory Analysis White Paper to members. This white paper helps to identify existing radio regulatory requirements for unlicensed devices that may fit with MulteFire 1.0 eNodeB and User Equipment (UE) products.

Vendors beginning the process of developing MulteFire 1.0 products can utilize the white paper to learn about the applicable radio standards and test methods in accordance with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in the United States, Innovation, Science and Economic Development (ISED) in Canada and the Radio Equipment Directive (RED) in Europe.

The MulteFire 1.0 Regulatory Analysis White Paper includes an overview on MulteFire Specification Release 1.0, regulatory requirements, test procedures and supporting annexes. Readers will gain insight into the MulteFire 1.0 operating frequency bands and channelization, as well as the technical rules for unlicensed devices operating in the 5 GHz band established by FCC, ISED and RED. For any company interested in MulteFire certification, this white paper covers applicable test methods for MulteFire 1.0 devices for the different schemes of certification.

The MulteFire 1.0 Regulatory Analysis white paper demonstrates the MFA’s support for member product certification and launches. MFA aims to aid the certification process by providing the necessary educational documents for product testing and regional regulations. I’d like to thank MFA member company DEKRA for developing the white paper in support of our certification program.

Access to the regulatory white paper is one of many MFA membership benefits. If you are interested in learning  more about membership, I encourage you to request a membership package.

Current MFA members can download the white paper on the MFA site here.

By Asimakis Kokkos

The telecom industry has rallied behind 5G and its promise of 10x faster speeds (10Gbps peak data rates, 100Mbps whenever needed), 10x quicker response times (less than 1ms latency) and ultra-reliability. This July, 3GPP completed its Release 16 specification, marking a significant milestone in expanding 5G capabilities, deployments and use cases. 3GPP Release 16 expands the 5G New Radio (NR) framework set in Release 15, and it caters to a wider range of industries in addition to mobile broadband, with enhanced vertical focuses including public safety, automotive and industrial communications.

Significantly, Release 16 adds support for 5G NR in unlicensed spectrum, both licensed assisted and standalone modes, referred to as 5G NR-U. The expansion of 5G NR to unlicensed spectrum paves the way for future proliferation and adoption of 5G technology; specifically, standalone NR-U enables 5G to be deployed via small cell deployments and operated by any vertical end user without requiring licensed spectrum. This update will allow 5G New Radio technology to leverage the 5 GHz global band as well as the 6 GHz band, significantly increasing the spectrum reach of 5G. In addition to adding support for 5G NR-U, Release 16 addresses industrial IoT use cases particularly through the inclusion of enhanced ultra-reliable low-latency (eURLLC) features that are required for successful and efficient IoT deployments. These are both low-power wide-area technologies intended to increase capacity and coverage, which are needed for IoT deployment scenarios.

MFA (MulteFire Alliance) has based MulteFire technology on proven 3GPP standards, building on Releases 13 and 14. It is in active support of 3GPP 5G NR-U standalone standardization specified in Release 16, with overlapping members actively contributing to the technology’s development. With these efforts, MFA aims to significantly lower the hurdles for enterprises and industry verticals to deploy their own private 5G networks and enable them to take advantage of the cost benefits of unlicensed spectrum. As 5G technology propels forward, MFA is eager to promote and support 3GPP 5G NR-U standardization and enhance this technology to bring 5G performance benefits to industrial IoT.

 

By György Wolfner, End-to-End Architecture Working Group Chair

When you’re at your local coffee shop or at the airport waiting for your flight, it’s common to want to connect to an on-premises hotspot configured as a neutral host network (NHN). But how can you be sure that the service you’re connecting to is secure and is being delivered by a trusted service provider?

To assure MulteFire network security in NHNs, the MFA is pleased to announce that MulteFire small cell vendors can now apply for a MulteFire Online Sign-Up (OSU) Server Certificate. The certificate defines legitimate service providers and prevents subscribers from connecting to fraudulent base stations (hotspots) deployed by malicious actors. For MulteFire hotspots to provide data services via an OSU system, vendors must have a MulteFire OSU Server Certificate signed by a MulteFire Trust Root Certificate.

MulteFire technology can be deployed as a private wireless network or as a neutral host network (NHN). In a neutral host environment, small cells are deployed to provide wireless connectivity service to subscribers of various service providers. NHNs can be deployed as special purpose private networks in isolated environments (such as mines, cruise ships, private enterprise, restaurants, hotels), venues or public spaces such as city parks, providing service to subscribers of multiple service providers or enterprises.

MFA Launches Public Key Infrastructure with Trust Root Certificate

 Leveraging the Wi-Fi Alliance’s Hotspot 2.0 Specification, the MFA has defined a system, architecture and specification, referred to as a Public Key Infrastructure (PKI), for using digital certificates to secure MulteFire neutral host hotspot access. To achieve this milestone, the MFA collaborated with Comarch to set up a Trust Root computer vault located at Comarch’s data center in Krakow. To prove that a vendor is legitimate, the vendor can get a MulteFire OSU Server Certificate signed by the Trust Root Certificate stored in Comarch’s data center. This MFA PKI system provides a level of security, confirming that vendors deploying MFA neutral host networks are authorized by the MFA Certificate Authority.

MulteFire OSU Server Certificate Open to Members and Non-Members

Companies deploying the MulteFire hotspots as well as the companies developing the hotspots will need the OSU Server Certificate, meaning that both MFA members and non-members are able to apply. To begin the process, vendors must determine an Authorized Security Representative (ASR). This ASR will provide information and references to the MFA Certificate Authority and request for the certificate to be signed.

Learn More

Those interested in learning more about the MulteFire OSU Server Certificate, Trust Root Certificate and Certificate Authority are encouraged to visit our MulteFire Online Sign Up (OSU) Certificate overview page and FAQ page.

Have questions? To get in touch with the Certificate Authority and begin your application for a MulteFire OSU Server Certificate, please fill out this form.

Visit our Resource page for white papers, presentations and videos that will provide more details on MulteFire deployment scenarios.