Midea, AIS, China Unicom, and Huawei have collaborated to establish Southeast Asia's inaugural fully connected 5G factory, establishing a benchmark for smart manufacturing in the region. This partnership signifies a significant advancement in the 5G era, boosting productivity, security, and automation within intricate production workflows.
Utilizing the extensive 5G network coverage within the Midea Industrial Park in Chonburi and an advanced 5G+ industrial Internet platform, every stage of production is seamlessly linked via 5G terminals, ensuring swifter machine operations. A specialized 5G private network has been implemented to meet the operational demands of the factory and optimize intelligent industry applications, enabling diverse manufacturing scenarios and interconnecting each production line effectively.
While showing the plant to visitors recently, Mr. Vincent Cai, General Manager of Midea Thailand Air Conditioning Factory said, “In line with Midea Group’s strategy of full digitalization and full intelligence, Thailand’s 5G smart factory sets the blueprint for the future of manufacturing, where everything is connected and green and high-quality plants are built".
Throughout this endeavor, operators have played a crucial role in spearheading digital transformation, utilizing their knowledge and local networks to implement 5G technology, thereby achieving unprecedented levels of efficiency, extensive connectivity, and data security in operations.
Mr. Phupa Akavipat, Acting Chief Enterprise Business Officer at Advanced Info Service Plc (AIS), emphasized AIS’s commitment to continuous innovation, “Compared with other technologies, 5G is the only technology allowing network coverage over 160,000 sq.m. covering 3 production plants. Looking ahead, AIS remains committed to driving innovation and assisting global manufacturers to replicate their smart factory setup in Thailand”.
This was echoed by Ms. Eunice Tse, General Manager of China Unicom Operations (Thailand) Limited, who highlighted the foundational importance of telecom and IT infrastructure: “Thailand’s 5G network readiness positions itself as a frontrunner in the ASEAN region. China Unicom is devoted to support the success of Thailand 4.0 strategy with extensive use cases and new 5G2B scenarios, and drive digital and intelligence transformation for manufacturers”.
Mr. Woragarn Likhitdechasakdi, Chief Technology Officer of Huawei Thailand, reiterated Huawei’s dedication to industry transformation: “We have seen how 5G has played an important role in driving industry transformation. The manufacturing sector has shown significant potential for development and transformation with the adoption of 5G technology. Huawei remains committed to collaborating with industrial customers, operators, and partners to generate 5G business value”.
The inauguration of Southeast Asia's premier fully connected 5G factory represents a momentous step in Thailand's progression towards intelligent transformation and Industry 4.0, underscoring the impact of collaboration and innovation in shaping the manufacturing landscape of the future.