PHY Wireless and Ubiik are combining private LTE and 5G networking with cellular positioning technology, targeting industrial automation, asset tracking and workforce safety applications.
The partnership brings together Ubiik’s private wireless infrastructure and PHY Wireless’s hellaPHY positioning technology in a single platform designed to provide location data for assets, equipment, vehicles and personnel.
The companies said the system could deliver metre-level positioning accuracy while reducing the cost and complexity of deploying separate location networks. It is intended for use in industrial facilities, warehouses, utilities, healthcare environments and campuses.
PHY Wireless calculates location directly on devices rather than relying on Cloud-based processing. The company says this approach can reduce network traffic, bandwidth requirements and power consumption, while allowing devices to determine when location updates are needed.
The technology is designed to address limitations of GPS and Wi-Fi-based positioning in challenging environments, including manufacturing facilities and warehouses, where reliable asset visibility can be difficult to achieve.
The companies are positioning the platform as an alternative to proprietary positioning systems, which can require dedicated infrastructure and increase deployment costs. By using existing private LTE and 5G networks, the partnership aims to add location services without requiring a separate positioning network.
The system is also intended to support emerging Physical AI applications, in which AI-enabled machines use information about their surroundings to inform decisions and actions. Potential applications include inventory management, logistics, operational monitoring and worker safety.
PHY Wireless claims its technology can reduce device power consumption by up to ten times compared with alternative approaches, although it did not provide comparative test data. The platform is also designed to align with developments in 5G Advanced, enhanced reduced-capability (eRedCap) devices and 6G sensing technologies.
“Organisations pursuing physical AI and industrial automation need location technologies that can scale economically across thousands of devices,” said Tom Horgan, Chief Executive of PHY Wireless.
TH Peng, Chief Executive of Ubiik, said the collaboration demonstrated how the company’s private LTE platform could be adapted to incorporate new technologies and support high-precision geolocation services.
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