⏱️ What if factories could ditch all their cables — without losing a nanosecond of precision?

Murata Manufacturing, SoftBank, and the CC-Link Partner Association have achieved the world's first successful demonstration of TSN over 5G by a telecom operator. They synchronized industrial equipment over a wireless 5G network with an average error of just 122 nanoseconds — more than 7 times better than the international standard requires. This is a significant step toward truly wireless smart factories and the age of "Physical AI."

What Is TSN over 5G? Freeing Factories from the Cable

In factories around the world, robotic arms, conveyor systems, and industrial controllers must work together with split-second precision. Even a tiny delay of a few microseconds (millionths of a second) can throw an entire production line out of sync. To guarantee this level of reliability, factories have traditionally relied on wired Ethernet connections — physical cables that link every machine.

But cables come with a major trade-off: inflexibility. Every time a factory wants to rearrange its equipment, technicians need to rewire everything. As global manufacturing shifts toward high-mix, low-volume production and rapid customization, the demand for flexible factory layouts has never been greater.

Enter TSN (Time-Sensitive Networking) — a set of IEEE standards that enables ultra-precise time synchronization and real-time data transmission over standard Ethernet networks. Imagine every device in a factory having a clock that's synchronized to within billionths of a second. That's what TSN delivers.

Now, take that technology and run it wirelessly over 5G. That's TSN over 5G — standardized in 3GPP Release 16, this technology promises to cut the cord while maintaining the nanosecond-level precision that industrial automation demands.

The Demonstration: What 122 Nanoseconds Actually Means

On February 24, 2026, three Japanese organizations announced a breakthrough. Murata Manufacturing, SoftBank, and the CC-Link Partner Association (CLPA) successfully demonstrated TSN over 5G connectivity — the first time a telecom operator has achieved this anywhere in the world.

The test was conducted in SoftBank's private 5G environment. Each partner brought distinct capabilities to the table:

  • SoftBank provided the 5G infrastructure, including the base station (gNB), user equipment (UE), and user plane function (UPF)
  • Murata Manufacturing supplied "TSN Translator" software that bridges TSN-compatible industrial devices to 5G networks, along with device-side (DS-TT) and network-side (NW-TT) time translation functions
  • CLPA provided industrial equipment and evaluated the communication quality and device performance

Using the gPTP (generalized Precision Time Protocol) at the heart of TSN, the team measured time synchronization accuracy between network-side and device-side equipment. The result: an average error of just 122 nanoseconds.

To put that in perspective, light travels approximately 120 feet (36 meters) in 122 nanoseconds. The 3GPP Release 16 standard requires accuracy of 900 nanoseconds or better — meaning this demonstration exceeded the international benchmark by more than seven times.

The team also validated end-to-end performance with actual industrial equipment, maintaining less than 1 microsecond of synchronization error over more than 6 continuous hours of operation. This met the requirements for CC-Link IE TSN Certification Class B, a demanding industrial Ethernet standard.

Murata Manufacturing: More Than a Components Company

Many people know Murata Manufacturing as the world's largest maker of multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs) — the tiny electronic components found in everything from smartphones to automobiles. With annual revenue of approximately $12 billion and an overseas sales ratio exceeding 90%, Murata is a global electronics giant.

But this demonstration revealed a different side of the company. Murata's "TSN Translator" software is a product of decades of expertise in wireless communication modules. The company holds world-leading market shares in Wi-Fi modules (approximately 60% global share) and SAW filters (approximately 45%), and its embedded communication know-how proved critical in bridging the gap between industrial TSN protocols and 5G networks.

Murata's operating profit margin of approximately 19% — far above the manufacturing industry average of around 5% — reflects a company that consistently translates cutting-edge technology into commercial value.

How Does This Compare to European TSN Efforts?

Europe has been the epicenter of Industry 4.0 (the fourth industrial revolution), and European companies have invested heavily in TSN technology.

Siemens has been integrating TSN into its PROFINET industrial communication protocol and partnered with Qualcomm to set up a private 5G standalone network at its Automotive Test Center in Nuremberg, Germany. This proof-of-concept deployed Siemens' SIMATIC controllers and automated guided vehicles in a real industrial setting.

Bosch Rexroth demonstrated TSN over a live 5G test network at the SPS (Smart Production Solutions) trade fair, also in partnership with Qualcomm. Its ctrlX Automation platform was designed to let factory operators switch seamlessly between wired Ethernet and 5G wireless communication.

However, the Japanese demonstration advances the field in several notable ways:

  1. Telecom operator involvement: SoftBank's participation means the test was conducted in conditions closer to a real commercial 5G deployment, making commercialization more viable
  2. Quantified precision: The 122-nanosecond figure is a concrete, published benchmark that exceeds international requirements by over 7x
  3. Industrial standard compliance: Verified conformance with CC-Link IE TSN Class B requirements bridges the gap between laboratory experiments and factory-floor deployment

Europe maintains advantages in ecosystem breadth — with multiple industrial protocol families (PROFINET, EtherCAT, EtherNet/IP) simultaneously advancing TSN support, the continent is well-positioned for multi-vendor TSN adoption. The future of smart manufacturing will likely be shaped by how these Japanese and European approaches complement and compete with each other.

Physical AI: The Next Frontier

All three partners emphasized that this breakthrough is a stepping stone toward Physical AI — a concept where artificial intelligence directly controls robots and equipment in the physical world. Unlike the AI most people interact with through screens and text, Physical AI involves AI systems analyzing sensor data, making real-time decisions, and executing precise physical actions.

For Physical AI to work, the communication between AI "brains" and robotic "bodies" must be perfectly timed. If an AI decides a robotic arm should move at a specific moment, even a tiny communication delay could result in a failed operation — or worse, a safety hazard. TSN over 5G provides the deterministic, nanosecond-precise communication backbone that Physical AI requires.

Think of it this way: TSN over 5G is the "nervous system" for AI-powered factories, carrying precise timing signals the way nerves carry electrical impulses to muscles.

MWC Barcelona 2026 Showcase

The results of this demonstration will be exhibited at MWC Barcelona 2026 (March 2–5, 2026) at the booth of Murata Electronics Europe B.V. This is the world's largest mobile communications trade show, and the display is expected to attract significant attention from both the telecom and smart manufacturing industries.

Takeaway

Japan has a deeply rooted manufacturing culture called monozukuri — literally "the art of making things" — which values precision, continuous improvement, and the mastery of craft. This TSN over 5G achievement is a modern expression of that tradition: three organizations combining their distinct strengths to push the boundaries of what's possible in industrial communication.

Will factories really go fully wireless? Will AI-controlled robots become the norm on factory floors? How is smart manufacturing progressing in your country? We'd love to hear about the state of factory automation and wireless technology where you live — share your thoughts!

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