Siemens has partnered with telecom operator O₂ Telefónica to introduce a new 5G-based connectivity solution designed specifically for the water and wastewater sector in Germany. This innovation targets the industry’s need for reliable and wide-ranging communication systems, contrasting with the localized private 5G networks used in manufacturing.

Branded as the “5G Slice for the Water Industry,” the solution enables water utilities to manage their entire network of automation technology via virtualized 5G slices. These slices provide guaranteed performance for essential tasks like pressure monitoring, flow measurement, and automated emergency responses across geographically dispersed infrastructure.

5G slicing technology allows O₂ Telefónica’s national 5G network to be segmented into custom, virtual “layers”, each optimized for specific performance, latency, and security requirements. In partnership with Siemens, the two companies developed and tested a complete solution combining Siemens 5G routers and tailored 5G slices to meet the stringent demands of industrial automation protocols. This setup ensures high cybersecurity standards and data separation from public internet traffic, critical for infrastructure regulated as part of Germany’s critical services.

“By working with O₂ Telefónica Germany, we can offer our customers in the water industry a secure and reliable communication solution for their distributed applications. The combination of Siemens hardware and 5G network slicing delivers the necessary quality, reliability and security for demanding automation applications,” said Siemens’ Axel Lorenz.

Alfons Lösing from O₂ Telefónica emphasized that this is the first time that 5G slicing technology has been applied in industry with clearly defined communication parameters, highlighting this collaboration as a key step forward for critical and distributed industrial applications.

The new system is already being piloted by a water utility in North Rhine-Westphalia. It offers a practical answer to the sector’s longstanding challenge of coordinating vast and scattered assets – from pumping stations and water towers to treatment plants – more efficiently and securely than with previous, often piecemeal solutions.

This development also highlights Siemens’ and O₂ Telefónica’s broader commitment to supporting the digital transformation of critical industries, ensuring scalable, secure, and high-performance communication solutions for complex infrastructure networks.