Abstract
The 5G networks revolutionize industrial connectivity, offering
reliable, low-latency, and high-bandwidth communication for diverse
critical environments, including mining. However, the current uplink
capacity of 5G poses limitations for transmitting large data volumes,
necessitating the exploration of concurrent wireless solutions. To
address this, our paper proposes leveraging a Wi-Fi mesh network in
conjunction with 5G and a Multipath Transmission Control Protocol
(MPTCP) scheduler. To do so, we deploy a test network in a tunnel able
to serve 5G as well as mesh Wi-Fi. We then evaluate how a moving vehicle
equipped with a connectivity unit can take advantage of both networks
even in challenging conditions by turning off part of the 5G base
stations. Ultimately, we demonstrate that employing Wi-Fi and MPTCP can
augment 5G in scenarios with limited uplink capacity or unreliable
coverage.