Vodafone plugs in private 5G network to nuclear power plant

As part of a pilot phase, the network covers the power plant’s outdoor space, as well as selected areas of a production unit. The 5G connectivity will enable the plants workers to move away from walkie-talkies for communicating, and will pave the way for augmented reality glasses for technicians, apparently.

Vodafone says this is the first deployment of its kind in Europe, and will also improve connectivity for workers in hard-to-reach areas of the site

The private network deployment at Temelín follows a project with Škoda Auto at one of the country’s largest car production plants, launched in 2022. The 1 Gbps and low latency facilitates automated car parking, as well as better communication between Škoda’s robots, machines and sensors, says Vodafone.

“By being entirely independent from the public network, our private 5G solution ensures that all user data and infrastructure are securely managed within the power plant's own systems, which is vital for maintaining the highest standards of safety and reliability,” said Violeta Luca, CEO of Vodafone Czechia. “This technology is a key enabler in advancing the secure digitalisation of such critical infrastructure.”

Bohdan Zronek, Member of the Board of Directors and Director of the Nuclear Division of ČEZ added: “A selected part of the nuclear power plant's communication network, as an element of critical infrastructure, must be completely separated from the external network. That is why we always maintain an alternative in the event of an outage, and the management system of course remains completely separate from the outside world. We are the first nuclear power plant in Europe to actually test a private 5G network, while other European operators work mostly with 4G.”

Boasting of its wider successes in B2B private networks, Nokia says it has also recently set some up in Germany with chemicals company BASF, in Italy with energy company SNAM, and in Ireland for the national rugby team.

The results of the pilot project, and a subsequent evaluation conducted by ČEZ, will inform the deployments of 5G MPNs at further sites, says Vodafone.