Private network upgrade for industrial campus

Inrico, a global provider of critical communication solutions, has delivered an end-to-end converged communication solution to support Yihai Kerry’s migration from a 4G private network to a 5G private network at its industrial campus in Lianyungang, China.

Yihai Kerry is one of China’s leading agricultural and food processing enterprises, operating at more than 80 strategic locations across China. As Yihai Kerry continued to modernise its industrial operations, the Lianyungang campus required a communication system that could support higher bandwidth, lower latency, unified dispatching and secure onsite data control. At the same time, the project needed to preserve approximately 1000 existing two-way radios previously supplied by a third party, avoiding unnecessary replacement while enabling a smooth transition to new 5G capabilities.

To meet these requirements, Inrico deployed a converged private network communication solution that integrates legacy 4G terminals, newly introduced S350 5G smart devices and a unified dispatch platform. Through cross-network protocol adaptation and system integration, the existing terminals were connected to the new platform, allowing old and new devices to operate together within the same communication environment.

This approach enabled Yihai Kerry to extend the value of its existing communication assets while moving towards a more capable 5G private network architecture. By avoiding large-scale terminal replacement, the project helped to reduce upgrade complexity, control implementation costs, and maintain operational continuity across the industrial campus.

The unified dispatch platform provides voice communication, video dispatching and GIS-based visual management through a single command interface. Dispatchers can monitor personnel and device locations, coordinate teams across different network segments, and manage daily operations with greater visibility. The system also supports more efficient communication during urgent incidents, helping production, logistics, maintenance and safety teams respond faster and work more closely together.

To meet the security requirements of industrial campus operations, Inrico implemented a private deployment model, with core communication servers installed locally within the park. This allows Yihai Kerry to keep critical communication services and operational data onsite while maintaining secure, controllable and reliable communications for daily operations.

The solution is also deeply integrated with China Unicom’s 5G private network, providing a low-latency communication foundation for future digital applications. Beyond voice dispatch, the upgraded system lays the groundwork for more visualised management, intelligent field coordination and future IoT scenarios across the campus.

The project demonstrates how industrial enterprises can migrate to 5G private networks without abandoning existing communication investments. By combining equipment reuse, network integration, unified dispatching and private deployment, Inrico provided Yihai Kerry with a practical and scalable path towards smarter industrial operations.

Image: Supplied