Mobile phone giant Vodafone and Czech nuclear operator ČEZ have introduced what they say is Europe's first private 5G mobile phone network at a nuclear power plant.
The pilot network covers the outdoor area of the Temelin plant and parts of the first unit with the aim of testing how it works and potential for future use of a private 5G network for operational use - including, for example, using augmented reality glasses and for better communication across the site.
The standalone private mobile network can achieve a download speed of 1GB/s and is built for the specific customer with infrastructure installed on site and fully independent of the public network. A Vodafone pilot private 5G network for fellow Czech company Škoda Auto was established in 2022 - one of its uses was to move manufactured cars to the parking areas using automatically controlled carts rather than being driven.
Violeta Luca, CEO of Vodafone in the Czech Republic, said: "The primary objective of our pilot testing is to ensure that the 5G mobile private network meets the strict security and operational standards required in the unique environment of a nuclear power plant. Our solution is completely independent of the public network, thus ensuring that all user data and infrastructure are securely managed within the power plant's own systems. This is essential to maintain the highest standards of safety and reliability in this critical environment. The mentioned technology is a key factor for progress in the safe digitisation of just such critical infrastructure."
Bohdan Zronek, Director of the Nuclear Division of ČEZ, said: "The selected part of the communication network of the nuclear power plant, as an element of critical infrastructure, must be completely separated from the external network. This is also why we always keep an alternative in case of failure, and of course the control system 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. This is an exceptional feat even in the world. Just a minor point of interest, KHNP, the company that was chosen as the preferred supplier for the new nuclear units in Dukovany, has separate 5G networks at its nuclear power plants."