"Try before buy" - with this motto, the Fraunhofer IPT wants to support manufacturing companies in the introduction of 5G. With the "5G portfolio", the Aachen-based researchers are offering a support package consisting of three modules that enables companies to test their own use cases with the help of a mobile 5G system.

The "5G Start" module is aimed at companies that have had little or no contact with 5G technology to date: they are given the opportunity to spend a day getting to know the technology and possible use cases up close at the 5G Industry Campus Europe in Aachen. In dialog with the researchers, companies can identify their own areas of application and determine the economic potential.

In the "5G Expert" module, companies will receive further concrete advice on how to set up their own 5G network: The Fraunhofer IPT will provide a mobile 5G system from mobile communications equipment manufacturer Ericsson. With "Ericsson Private 5G", companies can test their own 5G applications over a longer period of time under the guidance of the Aachen experts without having to install their own system. The mobile test system is able to supply up to three radio cells simultaneously and cover a hall area of several thousand square meters with 5G. One cell can also be used outdoors. "This is a unique opportunity for companies to test 5G in practice in their own halls without having to make a major investment in their own 5G network. We take care of the construction and commissioning of the network," says Niels König, coordinator of the 5G Industry Campus Europe. The performance of the mobile 5G network is up to one gigabit per second and a latency of 10 milliseconds.

The Fraunhofer IPT shows companies exactly how to set up their own network in the "5G-Professional" module: This module is aimed at companies that have already gained initial experience with 5G and now want to get started with the technology. The Fraunhofer IPT offers the opportunity to characterize the performance and quality of network coverage on site using state-of-the-art measurement technology. Researchers also provide support with the implementation of various use cases.