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Toyota teamed with Cradlepoint to deploy private 5G at its U.S. forklift plant
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Wi-Fi just wasn't cutting it, execs told Silverlinings
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It's the first installation done by an integrator rather than a CSP
MOBILE WORLD CONGRESS, BARCELONA – Toyota has signed a 5G private networking deal with Ericsson’s Cradlepoint to install the service in their forklift parts factory in the United States.
Kelly Dorsey, VP of corporate communications at Cradlepoint, told Silverlinings on the show floor that this was the first Ericsson 5G private network that was installed by an integrator rather than a CSP. STEP CG installed the cellular system.
Toyota is using the private network to supplement and replace Wi-Fi in its facilities. The manufacturer has replaced Wi-Fi handheld scanners with 5G scanners on the factory floor.
The Wi-Fi was giving Toyota a headache with “uneven coverage” in the factory, Dorsey said, but 5G fixed this issue. The network also allowed STEP to offer coverage outside, which Wi-Fi handles, she said, while expanding general cellular coverage at the factory.
Why, you may wonder, does Toyota have a large forklift parts factory in the United States? One reason Dorsey explained, “every forklift is like a custom order,” she claimed. And from now on 5G will be handling all that custom material!
Vroom! Vroom!
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