Industrial Internet development faces obstacles, 5G may be the key to breakthrough

From the State Council’s release of the "Guiding Opinions on Deepening the Development of Industrial Internet through 'Internet + Advanced Manufacturing'" in 2017, to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology’s release of the "Notice on Promoting the Accelerated Development of Industrial Internet" in 2020, to the National Development and Reform Commission’s recent clear inclusion of the industrial Internet in the scope of "new infrastructure", it is clear that the industrial Internet has risen to become a core strategy in my country.

[[326323]]

During this epidemic, the Industrial Internet has demonstrated its huge application advantages, which has given manufacturing companies and the general public a refreshing experience. In the process of resuming work and production, manufacturing companies with higher levels of industrial Internet application and higher levels of intelligence are often able to restore their production and manufacturing capabilities faster. For this reason, industry insiders are generally optimistic about the future development of the Industrial Internet.

Development shortcomings still exist

Although the development of my country's industrial Internet is promising, at present, due to the large capital investment required for comprehensive construction, many technical challenges, and many shortcomings in commercialization and later promotion, the overall judgment is that it is still in the early stages of development and needs to address various deficiencies accordingly.

On the one hand, the development of the industrial Internet urgently needs to break the data island phenomenon, so that various data within the same enterprise can flow smoothly and generate new value. In addition, some data between government departments and enterprises must also be circulated to make up for the lack of data resources. If the data island can be successfully broken, the industrial Internet will have a more solid application foundation.

On the other hand, given that the industrial Internet is an emerging industry, similar to other emerging industries, in the early stages of development there are generally problems such as insufficient core technology innovation capabilities, relevant laws, regulations and standards that need to be improved, a shortage of high-end, multi-talented personnel in the industry, commercial scenarios that need to be developed, and network security risks.

The above challenges, both large and small, have caused many manufacturing companies to still have doubts about the application of the Industrial Internet. However, the 5G network, which is being deployed at an accelerated pace, may break this dilemma and promote the accelerated development of the Industrial Internet industry.

5G brings multiple benefits

As my country officially launches 5G commercial use, the construction of domestic 5G base stations and the development of the 5G industry continue to accelerate. So far, the number of 5G package users in my country has exceeded 50 million, and major cities across the country have achieved full or partial 5G coverage, and even Mount Everest is covered by 5G signals. At the same time, various 5G terminal products have also been launched one after another. Therefore, it can be foreseen that 5G will bring many benefits to the industrial Internet.

First, the application of 5G networks is expected to enhance the interconnection capabilities of industrial Internet equipment, improve the speed and accuracy of related data transmission, provide reliable technical support for the connection between the industrial Internet and industrial equipment, and meet the actual needs of manufacturing companies for data transmission and processing, thereby solving problems such as "data islands" and industrial data connections.

Second, through 5G technology, the Industrial Internet can be more closely integrated with other cutting-edge technologies, such as artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, cloud computing, VR and AR, so as to further promote the transformation of the manufacturing industry, realize multi-faceted digitalization, intelligence, and networking upgrades, and truly bring into play the potential value of the Industrial Internet. In turn, the Industrial Internet can also become an important commercial scenario for 5G.

Standard construction cannot be ignored

On the basis of vigorously developing the industrial Internet, we should pay special attention to the construction of relevant standard and specification systems. This is not only related to the orderly and sustainable development of the industrial Internet industry, but also to the network security issues faced by the industrial Internet. Only by establishing a complete standard system can the development of the industrial Internet enter the "fast lane" with peace of mind.

In the process of building a standard and specification system, we must first accelerate the construction of relevant management, production, quality inspection, service and market standards for enterprises and industries, lay a solid foundation for the subsequent improvement of standards, and lay the foundation for the development of enterprises and industries; secondly, we must promote the connection with international standards, actively participate in the formulation of international standards, and enhance my country's international voice in the industrial Internet industry; in addition, we must focus on promoting the construction of safety standards, and establish complete standards and specifications from various aspects such as safety monitoring, risk response, and crisis management.

It is worth mentioning that in March 2019, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and the Standardization Administration of China jointly issued the "Guidelines for the Construction of an Integrated Industrial Internet Standardization System". The release of this guideline undoubtedly provides important support for the construction of the domestic industrial Internet standard system. Therefore, it can be foreseen that the process of building industrial Internet standards and specifications in my country will continue to accelerate, and relevant results will be achieved faster.