How private 5G and edge computing are changing asset monitoring

Next-gen telecommunications technologies can provide the accelerated speeds demanded by asset managers.   

By Jed Thomas 

For decades, oil and gas operations have operated under the tyranny of latency. 

Whether monitoring a drilling rig deep in the desert or responding to an anomaly in a high-pressure pipeline, the industry’s ability to act in real time has always been limited by bandwidth, distance, and legacy networks.  

But the rapid deployment of private 5G networks and edge computing infrastructure is flipping the script—giving oil and gas operators unprecedented speed, precision, and autonomy at the network’s edge. 

These technologies are not just buzzwords—they're becoming foundational to how companies monitor assets, automate workflows, and protect workers in some of the harshest, most remote environments on earth. 

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What is private 5G? 

Public 5G networks have garnered a lot of attention in consumer circles, but in the industrial world, private 5G is where the real action is.  

Unlike public cellular service, private 5G gives enterprises control over a dedicated slice of spectrum, letting them run secure, high-performance wireless networks over vast sites like offshore platforms, refineries, and pipelines. 

These networks offer ultra-low latency, high data throughput, and robust security—ideal for supporting real-time applications like autonomous vehicles, remote inspections, and sensor-heavy industrial IoT deployments.  

As a result, companies can prioritize mission-critical traffic, ensure uptime, and scale their connectivity needs without relying on public telecom infrastructure. 

Because private 5G provides ultra-low latency (as little as 1 millisecond), high bandwidth, and massive device density—all essential for connecting the growing ecosystem of IoT devices, robots, sensors, and worker wearables in real time. 

Compared to Wi-Fi, which struggles with interference and limited range, or legacy LTE systems, which offer slower speeds, private 5G offers a far more robust backbone for mission-critical applications. 

Take, for example, an offshore drilling platform deploying hundreds of environmental sensors, video surveillance units, and gas leak detectors.  

A private 5G network ensures that all this data flows seamlessly back to a local control system—with no reliance on public networks, and no risk of signal dropouts. 

What is edge computing? 

But connectivity is only half the story. As the volume of operational data grows, it’s neither efficient nor feasible to send everything to a central cloud server.  

That’s where edge computing comes in. 

Edge computing means placing data processing power close to the source—on the platform, near the pipeline, or even inside a smart sensor itself. 

This reduces latency, ensures greater resilience when connectivity is interrupted, and enables real-time analytics and decision-making. 

In a petrochemical plant, for instance, an edge-enabled system might detect an overheating pump and initiate a shutdown sequence in under a second—long before a signal could round-trip to a cloud data centre.  

When every second counts, that could be the difference between a routine fix and a catastrophic failure. 

How private 5G and edge computing can protect worker safety 

One of the most exciting applications of private 5G and edge computing is in worker safety.  

Smart hardhats, gas detection badges, and location-tracking wearables are increasingly common on sites, especially in high-risk environments like confined spaces or offshore rigs. 

With 5G connectivity and local edge processing, these wearables can instantly alert nearby workers and supervisors to emergencies—such as a fall, gas exposure, or unusual biometric reading.  

Some systems even combine AI with edge analytics to predict incidents before they happen, based on deviations in worker behavior or environmental conditions. 

And because this all happens within a self-contained, on-site network, alerts don’t get delayed by cloud transmission, and sensitive data doesn’t leave the facility unless explicitly required. 

Are private 5G and edge computing needed for effective automation? 

As oil and gas operators look to automate more field operations, edge computing is proving essential.  

Industrial robots, autonomous inspection drones, and AI-guided process controllers all generate enormous volumes of data that must be processed in real time. 

Private 5G gives these devices the bandwidth and reliability they need, while edge computing allows for local decision-making and control—even if the cloud is temporarily unreachable. 

One real-world example comes from a pilot project in the North Sea, where autonomous robots perform equipment inspections on an offshore platform.  

The robots stream HD video, thermal images, and LIDAR data over a private 5G network to an edge server on the platform.  

There, AI algorithms analyse the data in real time, flagging corrosion risks and sending maintenance alerts to the control room. All without human intervention—or delay. 

Optimising optimisation 

Beyond safety and automation, private 5G and edge computing also enable continuous optimization of production processes.  

Real-time analytics can identify inefficiencies, reduce energy consumption, and fine-tune chemical reactions in petrochemical plants. 

And because this processing happens locally, operators don’t have to wait for centralized systems to crunch the numbers.  

They can act immediately, boosting uptime, lowering costs, and reducing emissions. 

What are the challenges of private 5G and edege computing? 

Of course, rolling out private 5G and edge computing isn't without its hurdles. Spectrum access, cybersecurity, hardware costs, and workforce training all require attention.  

But many of these challenges are rapidly being addressed.  

Regulators in regions like the US, UK, and Germany have made spectrum available for private industrial use, and vendors are increasingly offering turnkey solutions tailored to the oil and gas sector. 

Cybersecurity, too, is improving. Because private 5G networks are isolated from public infrastructure, they offer a tighter security perimeter.  

Combined with on-site edge processing, sensitive data can be protected more easily than if it were constantly transmitted to external servers. 

As the oil and gas industry continues to digitise and decarbonise, private 5G and edge computing will play a central role in reshaping how operations are monitored, managed, and made safe.  

These technologies don't just offer faster data—they offer smarter decisions, safer workers, and more agile operations. 

In an industry where time, safety, and precision are everything, having the brains and the bandwidth right at the edge may well be the next great competitive advantage.

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