Volvo CE to test 5G-enabled technologies

Volvo CE’s remote-controlled wheel loader developed as part of a previous project. Photo courtesy of Volvo CE.

Volvo Construction Equipment (Volvo CE) will trial 5G mobile technology as part of a collaboration with mobile operator Telia Co.

According to Volvo CE, the Telia journey to 5G Partnership Program represents a new era of digital innovation and aims to provide a select group of partners with an innovative platform to develop technologies. For Volvo CE, this means pushing the boundaries for autonomous machines and potentially developing site solutions that increase safety, productivity and uptime.

Volvo CE will be able to test 5G-enabled technologies at a test site in Eskilstuna, Sweden – potentially years ahead of 5G becoming available to the public.

Only a handful of companies from across the Nordic countries – and from a range of industries – will be chosen to take part in the two-year program, Volvo CE says. The program is a collaboration between Telia and mobile telecoms firm Ericsson.

“The advantages of a faster, more reliable 5G network represent a huge step forward in connectivity,” says Patrik Lundblad, Volvo CE’s senior vice president of technology. “Within the construction industry, it opens up great potential for processing mobile data and will inevitably impact the ways our machines communicate and interact remotely. To be at the forefront of this digital revolution and collaborate on developing new technologies is a game-changer for Volvo CE.”

This new-generation mobile network is expected to deliver transfer speeds considerably faster than the current 4G network, Volvo CE says. 5G is capable of transporting huge amounts of data in far less time.

Volvo CE will test its potential by creating a local cellular network at its facility in Eskilstuna and use it to expand its competencies and develop ongoing research into autonomous technology.

“5G allows us to transport data in ways that we could only ever dream about and can increase the possibilities for autonomous and remote-controlled machines in our future,” says Calle Skillsäter, Volvo CE’s technical specialist for connected machines. “By eliminating the potential safety hazards and downtime associated with operations like mining, we can move closer to fulfilling our ambitions to deliver zero emissions, zero accidents and zero unplanned stops.”