5G industrial switch enables deterministic wireless automation

A new 5G-enabled industrial switch integrates private wireless networks with industrial Ethernet to support deterministic communication in factory automation. The concept targets manufacturing environments requiring synchronized machine operations and flexible infrastructure expansion.

Bridging industrial Ethernet and private 5G
Belden presented the BRS-5G industrial switch as a concept at Hannover Messe, held from April 20–24, 2026, in Hannover, Germany. The system combines established industrial switching architecture with 5G connectivity, enabling industrial Ethernet traffic to operate directly over private 5G networks.

The integration is achieved using the Snapdragon X72 5G Modem-RF System, which provides the radio and protocol capabilities required for low-latency, high-reliability communication. This architecture allows deterministic data exchange—typically associated with wired Ethernet to be extended into wireless environments.

Deterministic communication for factory automation
Industrial automation systems depend on predictable latency, synchronization, and high availability. The proposed switch architecture supports these requirements by enabling real-time communication between sensors, controllers, and actuators without relying on fixed cabling.

This capability is particularly relevant for applications such as conveyor systems, robotics coordination, and distributed motion control, where timing deviations can affect production quality or throughput. A live demonstration at the event featured a conveyor system in which sensors and drives communicated in real time over a dedicated private 5G network.

By supporting established industrial protocols, the system maintains interoperability across heterogeneous equipment, reducing integration complexity in brownfield and greenfield deployments.

Enabling flexible and scalable factory networks
The use of private 5G allows manufacturers to expand production lines or reconfigure layouts without installing additional physical network infrastructure. This reduces deployment time and enables more adaptive manufacturing environments.

Such flexibility is aligned with the development of the automotive data ecosystem and other data-intensive industrial sectors, where increasing numbers of connected devices require scalable and high-performance communication frameworks.

The ability to connect additional sensors and machines wirelessly while maintaining deterministic performance also supports modular production concepts and distributed control architectures.

From concept to deployable industrial connectivity
A key technical contribution of the system is the implementation of native Ethernet over 5G, which eliminates the need for protocol translation layers that can introduce latency or complexity. This positions the solution as a potential pathway toward fully converged wired and wireless industrial networks.

While similar efforts exist in industrial wireless communication—such as Wi-Fi 6/6E-based industrial networking these typically face challenges in guaranteeing deterministic performance under high device density. Private 5G, by contrast, offers network slicing, quality-of-service control, and spectrum isolation, which can be engineered to meet industrial timing constraints.

Implications for industrial networking
The introduction of a 5G industrial switch reflects a broader shift toward converged communication infrastructures in manufacturing. By combining switching, routing, and wireless connectivity into a unified platform, such systems aim to simplify network design while meeting stringent industrial requirements.

As factories adopt more distributed and data-driven operations, integrating deterministic wireless communication into core network architectures becomes a critical step toward scalable, resilient, and software-defined industrial environments.

Edited by an industrial journalist Sucithra Mani with AI assistance.

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