Vodacom and Sasol Collaborate on Secunda's Private Mobile Network for Digital Operations Boost
In a significant stride towards enhancing operational efficiency and connectivity in the industrial sector, Vodacom Business and Sasol have partnered to implement Mobile Private Network (MPN) solutions. This collaboration, a milestone in leveraging advanced technology, promises to revolutionise the way industries operate.
The MPN solution provided by Vodacom is dedicated, secure, and high-performance, tailored to meet the specific needs of Sasol's operations. The network delivers the scalability and reliability required to ensure continuity for Sasol's mission-critical applications, providing a private, secure, and high-performing mobile network tailored to specific operational needs.
Peter Malebye, Managing Executive of Vodacom Business, emphasises the partnership as a testament to Vodacom's commitment to innovating with clients, helping them stay connected today and supporting their digitalisation into the future. Victor Bester, Executive Vice President of Operations and Projects at Sasol, states that the initiative allows for improved connectivity and control of the mobile network deployed at Sasol's Secunda production facility.
Advantages of an MPN solution include greater control, customizability, increased security, and reduced latency. These networks provide exclusive access to a particular facility or business, ensuring that the network is optimised for their specific use case. They also enable real-time and remote monitoring, improving safety and compliance, streamlining asset management, boosting collaboration, and optimising overall operational efficiency.
In a South African context, MPNs are not yet as widespread as traditional public mobile networks. However, the collaboration between Vodacom Business and Sasol demonstrates the potential benefits of these solutions in industrial sectors.
The MPN solution delivered by Vodacom offers guaranteed coverage and reliability, even in challenging environments such as remote mining sites, oil and gas facilities, and large industrial complexes where public networks may be weak or unavailable. This guarantees continuous, secure connectivity for critical operations.
High performance is another key advantage of MPNs, offering ultra-reliable, low-latency, and high-bandwidth connectivity essential for Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) applications and Industry 4.0 initiatives. This enables real-time monitoring, automation, and control with minimal delay, improving operational responsiveness and safety.
Security and privacy are also enhanced with MPNs, being privately owned and managed, protecting sensitive industrial data and operations from external threats. Operational flexibility is also supported, as MPNs support seamless connectivity for employees and devices across varied industrial environments.
Compared to Wi-Fi or relying on public cellular networks, MPNs provide a more scalable and maintainable wireless infrastructure tailored to industrial needs, reducing congestion and operational downtime.
In the industrial sector, MPNs have numerous applications. They enable industrial automation and smart manufacturing, IIoT deployment, operations in remote and harsh environments, and enhanced asset and fleet management.
Vodacom Business has been a pioneer in developing tailored MPN offerings for clients in the southern African region. By leveraging a single network to create a connected environment, organisations can better understand key performance drivers, reduce operational outages, and extend asset life.
The deployment of an MPN at Sasol's synthetic fuel facility in Secunda, Mpumalanga, demonstrates the future-proof, secure, and robust connectivity offered by Vodacom's MPN solution, addressing safety, efficiency, and visibility concerns.
In summary, Mobile Private Network solutions underpin the digital transformation of industrial sectors by offering reliable, secure, and high-performance wireless connectivity essential for modern industrial operations, with demonstrated benefits in automation, safety, and productivity.
- The MPN solution provided by Vodacom Business is tailored to meet the specific needs of Sasol's operations, offering a private, secure, and high-performing mobile network dedicated to industrial use.
- Advantages of an MPN solution include greater control, customizability, increased security, reduced latency, and improved asset management, asset and fleet management, industrial automation, and smart manufacturing.
- Compared to Wi-Fi or relying on public cellular networks, MPNs provide a more scalable and maintainable wireless infrastructure tailored to industrial needs, reducing congestion and operational downtime.
- In summary, Mobile Private Network solutions underpin the digital transformation of industrial sectors by offering reliable, secure, and high-performance wireless connectivity essential for modern industrial operations, enhancing safety, efficiency, and productivity.
