How private 5G connectivity puts warehouses on the fast track to fulfilment
Warehousing and logistics are complex and highly dynamic operations, and the challenge of meeting customer expectations is only growing. More than three-quarters of organisations in Australia say the volume, number or variety of goods in their warehouses has increased over the last year, according to a 2024 survey by Vanson Bourne. Respondents also cited challenges related to managing congested warehouse yards, locating equipment or inventory and scheduling with transportation partners.
Industry 4.0 technologies can help solve challenges like these. For instance, Internet of Things (IoT) sensors can track assets across even the biggest warehouse environments and enhance coordination with transportation partners. Yet among the 10 countries Vanson Bourne surveyed, Australia, at 28%, had the lowest proportion of companies using Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology or IoT sensors in warehouses.
To meet increasing customer demands and manage growing complexity, the sector must embrace Industry 4.0 technologies. A critical enabler is fast, reliable and low-latency wireless network coverage across both interior storage and processing locations, as well as outdoor loading dock areas – without dead spots.
Private mobile networks (PMNs) leverage 4G and 5G technology to deliver secure, high-speed, and low-latency wireless connectivity, crucial for optimising inventory management, automation, and logistics across indoor and outdoor environments. With dedicated network resources, PMNs provide stable, predictable performance, supporting real-time data flow, smart automation, and enhanced operational efficiency. Using licensed spectrum, PMNs can transmit over five times the power of typical wireless LAN technologies, enabling wider coverage with fewer access points. This improves cost efficiency and maximize ROI for large scale facilities.
Enhancing operational efficiency
Accurate, up-to-the-minute inventory data is critical to managing ever evolving warehouses requirements. With such data, warehouses can optimise stock levels, take action to prevent shortages and meet customers’ expectations.
A PMN has the capacity to connect large numbers of IoT sensors, enabling real-time monitoring of item locations and conditions. It provides seamless connectivity for continuous data flow from sensors to the warehouse management system (WMS), as well as low latency for instant access to insights that can minimise the impacts of misplaced items and other challenges. It also enables smart shelving solutions that use weight sensors and cameras to track inventory levels, communicating with the WMS to order more stock when levels are low. A PMN offers the reliable, continuous connectivity these data transfers and automations require.
Industry 4.0 technologies like autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) and collaborative robots (known as “cobots”) can also help prepare, pack and ship orders to reduce human error and accelerate order fulfilment. A PMN provides the fast, continuous connectivity AMRs and cobots need wherever they travel in a facility. Plus, an entire fleet of these wireless robots can be configured from one location, offering greater flexibility and simpler operations.
Improving flexibility, scalability and resilience
Warehouses are dynamic environments where layouts, workflows, and infrastructure requirements frequently change. A PMN eliminates the need for fixed cabling, providing seamless, high-performance wireless connectivity that adapts to evolving operational needs. This flexibility makes it easier to reconfigure spaces, expand facilities, or integrate new technologies without disruption.
As warehouse operations grow, a PMN scales effortlessly to support increasing numbers of connected devices, ensuring that automation, robotics, and IoT systems continue to perform at peak efficiency. Whether integrating additional sensors, expanding AMR fleets, or deploying new AI-driven systems, a PMN provides the reliable capacity required to sustain growth.
A PMN also enhances operational resilience by enabling edge computing, which shifts computation and data storage closer to warehouse operations. By processing data at the network edge, warehouses can maintain real-time automation and decision-making capabilities even if external network connections are temporarily unavailable.
Strengthening security and safety
Warehouses handle vast amounts of sensitive data, from real-time inventory records to customer order information and logistics schedules. A PMN provides enterprise-grade security, ensuring that data remains protected within the warehouse’s own infrastructure. Built-in encryption, network segmentation, and controlled access policies prevent unauthorised access, reducing cybersecurity risks.
Beyond security, a PMN also enhances worker safety. Wearable IoT devices can monitor employee health conditions, alerting staff to potential risks like excessive fatigue or unsafe working conditions. Smart sensors can detect hazardous environmental factors, automatically sending alerts to ensure rapid response and accident prevention.
PMNs in action: BASF Chemical
Businesses have already deployed PMNs to optimise their warehouse and logistics operations. That includes BASF, the world’s largest chemical company. In partnership with BAI’s sister company, Boldyn Networks, BASF deployed a PMN at its 100-hectare plant in Tarragona, the first of its kind in the Spanish chemical industry. The network provides fast, reliable, and secure wireless connectivity across the facility, enabling BASF to optimise logistics and enhance automation. The company is currently testing a variety of other use cases, including wearable IoT devices to improve worker safety.
Bring the benefits of a 5G PMN to your warehouses
To manage increasing demand and complexity, warehouses and logistics facilities in Australia need the benefits of a PMN: fast speeds, low latency, seamless connectivity, reserved capacity and high scalability. As an enabler of Industry 4.0 technologies, a PMN sets the stage for new levels of operational efficiency, flexibility and worker safety.
BAI Communications has the expertise to design, deploy and operate advanced connectivity solutions for warehouse and logistics environments of all sizes.
Contact BAI today to discuss how they can help you deploy a PMN tailored to your unique environment.
You can also read related blog posts to learn more about PMN technology, including how PMNs can be applied by industries across Australia.
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