- Field sensors determine the right time to sow, fertilize and harvest
- Smart streetlights identify trucks and improve logistics
- Smart machines prevent outages in food production
- Connected waste bins request pickup autonomously
Companies that want to remain competitive have to speed up their business processes, minimize downtimes and optimize their resource utilization. None of this is possible without digitization. "In the future, everything will revolve around the real-time processing of increasingly rich data streams from a variety of sources," says Anette Bronder, head of the Digital Division at T-Systems. "Fast networks, intelligent tools for data analytics and secure cloud platforms are the key. Deutsche Telekom offers all of these elements." At CeBIT 2016, the Group will demonstrate how smart solutions revolutionize industry processes, using the food industry as an example.
Sensors simplify logistics workflows
Digitization starts at the port, where foodstuffs or seeds arrive in connected containers. Equipped with GPS modules, they transmit their positions to the port operator in real time, while sensors simultaneously measure the inner temperature or other conditions in the container. As a result, the quality of the goods can be checked at any time and logistics processes at the transshipping points can be optimized.
Not all trucks and containers have communication modules on board – here is where "smart lights" come in: sensor-equipped streetlights register non-digitized trucks on the port grounds and report them to the dispatcher. The dispatcher now has a full overview and can assign routes, trip times and free parking bays to all trucks. Traffic jams and wait times can be avoided and the seeds delivered on time.
Field to harvester, come in please
Out in the fields, soil sensors help to determine the right time for sowing, fertilizing and irrigating. The sensors record relevant environmental information, such as sunshine duration and soil moisture levels up to a depth of 40cm, and send it to the cloud in real time. The data is then processed directly and sent back to the farmer and GPS-equipped machines, which are partially automated and work exact to the centimeter. Not a single square meter is covered twice, saving the farmer valuable resources and time. State-of-the-art technology also protects the animal kingdom: drones with thermal cameras detect deer and rabbits in the field, sending warnings before any animals are harmed – which also prevents damage to the harvest.
The next step involves processing the harvest at the factory. Hot and cold chains must not be interrupted here, or entire batches of food products can be spoiled. Predictive maintenance solutions ensure that machinery and equipment constantly transmit their status data, monitoring maintenance intervals and identifying irregularities quickly. From the factory, we move to the industrial kitchen, where fresh foodstuffs are prepared as finished meals, which the caterer delivers to nursery schools or retirement homes. In the process, the caterer must ensure that the temperature of a hot meal does not fall below 68 degrees Celsius, or contamination becomes likely. Smart transport containers help to monitor the food temperature and add heat when necessary.
On-demand waste removal
Even the best production chain can't prevent leftovers and trimmings from ending up in the waste bin. And there is digitization potential for the waste disposal company, too: sensor-equipped waste bins can measure their own fill levels and call the waste disposal company when they are full. When all the bins in an area are equipped with this technology, the waste disposal routes can be optimized – saving fuel, time and money. Residents only pay for collections that have taken place.
The bins communicate in the Narrow Band Internet of Things (NB-IoT), a mobile-based IoT technology. NB-IoT offers a wide range of benefits for IoT applications, such as low data rates, long battery life and long, unsupervised operating periods.
The best network for the IoT
Deutsche Telekom is the first telecommunications provider to equip its network for the NB-IoT. In late 2015, the Group and partner Huawei launched a field trial to demonstrate the performance of the IoT technology. Software upgrades made the base stations of the network compatible with NB-IoT, which supports network operation in a spectrum of just 200 kHz and achieves a coverage gain of 20 dB compared to existing mobile-based solutions.
Deutsche Telekom is driving forward the adoption of standards for the Internet of Things, working closely together with partners in industrial consortia such as the 3rd Generation Partnership Project and the GSM Association. The company is also forging mobile and fixed-network alliances such as ngena (Next Generation Enterprise Network Alliance) and Freemove, to pave the way for international, end-to-end network coverage to cover the networking requirements of tomorrow. The Group is also working very hard on the development of the new 5G mobile communications standard, which will become available in initial network segments in 2020.
Experience our products and services live at CeBIT in Hanover from March 14-18 at the Deutsche Telekom stand in hall 4, stand C38. Digitization thinkers and leaders will discuss their hands-on experiences in top-class talk formats. More information about the program and scheduled speakers is available at http://transforum.telekom.com.
Deutsche Telekom's entire presence at the trade fair is carbon-neutral: All CO2 emissions generated in setting up and operating the stand are offset fully by carbon-reduction projects abroad.
About Deutsche Telekom
Deutsche Telekom is one of the world’s leading integrated telecommunications companies with more than 156 million mobile customers, 29 million fixed-network lines and around 18 million broadband lines (as of December 31, 2015). The Group provides fixed-network/broadband, mobile communications, Internet, and Internet-based TV products and services for consumers, and ICT solutions for business customers and corporate customers. Deutsche Telekom is present in more than 50 countries and has around 225,200 employees worldwide. The Group generated revenues of EUR 69.2 billion in the 2015 financial year – around 64 percent of it outside Germany.
About T-Systems
As one of the leading global ICT service providers, T-Systems supplies integrated solutions for business customers. These are based on global offerings in fixed-network and mobile communications, highly secure data centers, a unique cloud infrastructure built around standardized platforms and global partnerships, and top security in line with the strictest German data protection regulations, as demanded by our customers. With a footprint in more than 20 countries, 46,000 employees, and external revenue of 7.1 billion euros (2015), T-Systems is the ideal partner for digital transformation. Alongside traditional ICT services, T-Systems' portfolio also offers cloud access, custom infrastructure, and platforms and software from the cloud, alongside innovation projects in future business areas such as big data, the Internet of Things, machine-to-machine (M2M) communication, and Industry 4.0.