How Private 5G Uncorked Operational Efficiency at a Winery
INS Helped Turn Connectivity Challenges Into Productivity Gains
At INS, we love solving real-world industrial challenges. Recently, we partnered with a leading winery in California that produces wine for major grocery chains and retailers. From growing the grapes to crushing, fermenting, and bottling the wine, they manage an incredibly complex operation, including a massive tank farm housing hundreds of thousands of gallons of liquid.
One of the biggest operational challenges? Cleaning that tank farm efficiently.
Mobile pump carts move from tank to tank, performing essential cleaning tasks after wine is transferred to the bottling facility. But these carts require constant connectivity to track operations, monitor systems, and maintain efficiency. Historically, public cellular networks were unreliable: signal drops left operators blind, slowed cleaning, and introduced manual workarounds. As production grew, so did the problem.
The Challenge: Unreliable Connectivity in a Metal Maze
Initially, the winery tried using public cellular networks. While there was a carrier tower nearby, even in clear line of sight, the performance was inconsistent. The large steel tanks created extreme obstructions, causing frequent signal drops.
Public cellular networks are shared networks with performance that can vary by location, load, and service plan. The network does its best to provide bandwidth and connectivity, but it’s shared among all users. At 11 a.m., a tower might handle a few devices without issue. By 5 p.m., during peak traffic, the same tower could struggle to support multiple users, and performance could deteriorate dramatically. For the winery, this meant downtime, inefficiency, and uncertainty, especially as production volumes increased.
Traditional Wi-Fi networks offered limited coverage and poor penetration through the steel tank rows. The result was a growing problem that could not be solved without a network designed for the operational reality of the tank farm.
The Solution: Private Cellular Network Tailored for Operations
INS teamed up with our partner Ericsson to deploy a private 5G cellular network specifically designed for the winery’s tank farm. This wasn’t just about technology. It was about understanding how the pump carts moved and designing coverage where it was needed most.
Private cellular offered several key advantages:
- Superior coverage and penetration: 5G radios easily reach into narrow spaces between tanks, outperforming Wi-Fi or public cellular.
- Reliability and control: The winery now owns the infrastructure, controlling which devices connect and how bandwidth is allocated.
- Security by design: Only authorized SIM or eSIM devices can access the network, with encrypted communication between end devices and the core system.
- Operational efficiency: Reduced downtime and faster cleaning processes led to significant productivity gains.
Private 5G in Action: Control, Coverage, and Security
With private 5G, the winery gained more than just reliable connectivity. The system allowed complete control over which devices connected, how bandwidth was allocated, and how handovers occurred between radios as pump carts moved around the tanks. End-to-end encryption and SIM/eSIM identities ensured that only authorized devices could access the network.
The coverage footprint of private 5G also exceeded that of comparable Wi-Fi networks. Signals penetrated between tanks more effectively, allowing pump carts to operate anywhere within the farm without dropping connection. Operators regained visibility and control, downtime decreased, and cleaning operations became more efficient.
Additionally, private cellular ownership eliminated recurring data plan costs. The winery invested in infrastructure they controlled, and as operations scaled, the return on investment increased. The private network created a foundation for future wireless use cases, ensuring trust in connectivity across the facility.
From Concept to Reality: The INS Approach
Before deployment, the INS team conducted on-site surveys and network audits, testing signals and mapping coverage with temporary radios. These readings helped the team create heat maps and determine the optimal placement of access points.
By simulating the network before the full deployment, we could fine-tune coverage and ensure the final system met the customer’s operational needs. From design to installation and tuning, INS handles everything so the transition is smooth.
The result? A tailored private cellular network that not only resolves previous connectivity issues but also lays the groundwork for future applications and scalability.
With private cellular in place, the winery now enjoys:
- Reliable wireless coverage across the entire tank farm, eliminating downtime
- Greater operational control over devices and bandwidth allocation
- Cost savings by investing in owned infrastructure instead of recurring public data plans
Why INS is the Right Partner for Industrial OT Networks
This project highlights what makes INS different. We understand harsh industrial environments and design networks around real operational challenges, not just theoretical specs. By combining deep technical expertise with hands-on deployment and tuning, we ensure wireless solutions that actually work where they’re needed most.
When it comes to private cellular in industrial environments, INS doesn’t just provide technology. We deliver end-to-end solutions that increase productivity, security, and operational control.
By implementing a private 5G network, INS helped this winery transform a critical part of their operation. Mobile pump carts now operate with reliable connectivity, cleaning processes are faster and more efficient, and the facility has greater control over its network than ever before.
For industrial operations facing similar connectivity challenges, INS demonstrates that technology tailored to real-world operations can unlock tremendous productivity and ROI.
