Nokia's 2025 Industrial Digitalization Report, developed in collaboration with GlobalData, sheds light on the significant benefits industries are experiencing by integrating on-premise edge technology and private wireless networks. According to the report, 87% of adopters observed a return on investment within a year, with 81% noticing reduced setup costs and more than half saving above 11%. Ongoing expenses dropped for 86% of enterprises, with 60% reporting savings exceeding 11%.
The report is based on insights gathered from 115 industrial enterprises across diverse sectors such as manufacturing, energy, logistics, mining, and transportation in regions including Australia, Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
The transformative capabilities of AI rely heavily on access to high-quality real-time data. An impressive 94% of enterprises have harnessed on-premise edge technology coupled with private wireless to achieve this. Such integration provides secure, low-latency connectivity in intricate environments, ensuring saturation of sensor coverage even in challenging areas. Consequently, 70% of surveyed companies are benefiting from AI-driven use cases like predictive maintenance and digital twins.
The report emphasises the role private wireless plays in driving sustainability. Among those surveyed, 94% reported a decrease in carbon emissions, with 41% achieving a reduction of over 20%. Additionally, 89% saw energy conservation improvements. Predictive maintenance, integrated devices, and drones further facilitate reductions in fuel-based travel and enhance emissions tracking accuracy.
Beyond environmental impacts, 71% of enterprises are deploying technologies such as automated alarms and geofencing solutions to bolster worker safety. Connected devices optimise tasks, reducing unnecessary mobility, simplifying information access, and minimising paperwork. This streamlining cuts down human errors, thereby enhancing efficiency and automation.
With security being paramount, 57% of respondents have identified cybersecurity as a pivotal reason to deploy Industrial Edge platforms empowered by Private Wireless networks. These solutions incorporate features like encryption, physical network separation, and alignment with zero-trust frameworks, ensuring robust security while maintaining business continuity and compliance.
“GlobalData forecasts the global private wireless network market will nearly double to US$8 billion by 2027. This reflects the growing demand as industries face mounting pressure to modernise in line with global sustainability and efficiency goals. Nokia and GlobalData's latest research helps leaders build strong business cases for digitalisation by showing how private wireless and on-premise edge not only reduce costs but also accelerate scalable transformation with measurable improvements in worker safety, productivity, security and environmental impact,” said David de Lancellotti, Vice President of Enterprise Campus Edge Sales at Nokia.
