--- title: "400+ bots, 14 levels, one private 5G network — and 90% less downtime" date: 2026-07-23T16:11:00+10:00 author: Pradhyum canonical_url: "https://celona.io/resources/automated-distribution-center-bots-private-5g" section: Resources --- / Case Study | Warehousing & logistics | Fully automated distribution center # 400+ bots, 14 levels, one private 5G network — and 90% less downtime Wi-Fi roaming kept dropping 400+ bots mid-aisle. Private 5G covers all 14 levels on seven APs — 90% less downtime. ![Fullyautomated WH2](https://celona.io/volumes/images/FullyautomatedWH2.png) 400+ bots at 30 mph+ inside the cages 61K/day seamless handovers — no dropped bots 120 → 7 APs Wi-Fi vs private 5G (~17× fewer) 90% reduction in downtime / At a glance ## Bots that never drop the network. ### \_01 The Challenge - 400+ bots moving at 30 mph+ inside 7 ft × 300 ft multi-level cages - 600K sq-ft (~10 football fields), 14 levels to cover - Wi-Fi roaming failed — handoffs dropped bots and halted operations - Blanketing it with Wi-Fi took ~120 access points ### \_02 The Solution - Celona private 5G across all 600K sq-ft and 14 levels - Just 7 private 5G APs replace ~120 Wi-Fi APs - Seamless, network-controlled handover for fast-moving bots - Onboard cellular gateways on each bot ### \_03 The Outcome - Pervasive coverage across every level — no dead zones - ~61,000 handovers a day, all seamless — no dropped bots - 90% reduction in downtime from seamless mobility - Faster rollouts with up to 10× fewer APs to deploy A fully automated distribution center runs on bots — 400+ of them, moving at 30 mph and faster inside tall, caged aisles that climb 14 levels across roughly 600,000 square feet (about ten football fields). When the bots move, they pick and distribute; when they lose the network, they stop. Keeping every bot continuously connected, everywhere, at speed, is the whole game. ## Why Wi-Fi couldn't keep up The operation's Wi-Fi couldn't roam fast enough for bots traveling at 30 mph through steel-caged, multi-level racking. ![Fullyautomated WH](https://celona.io/volumes/images/Resources/_830x1024_fit_center-center_70_none_ffffff/56675/FullyautomatedWH.webp) Handoffs between access points dropped connections, and a disconnected bot halts — stalling picking and distribution. Covering the space with Wi-Fi also meant a very high access-point count: roughly 120 APs to blanket the 600K sq-ft, 14-level structure, with all the cabling and tuning that implies — and it still left the roaming problem unsolved. ## One private 5G layer, 7 APs Celona deployed private 5G across the entire facility — all 600,000 sq ft and all 14 levels — with just seven access points, versus the ~120 Wi-Fi APs it would have taken. Private cellular's higher transmit power and link budget reach deep into the caged, multi-level racking, and its native, network-controlled handover keeps fast-moving bots connected as they cross cell boundaries at speed. Each bot connects through an onboard cellular gateway, so the fleet rides one deterministic network instead of contending with best-effort Wi-Fi. ## The outcome The result is pervasive coverage with no dead zones across every level, and the handoff and disconnect issues are gone. The network handles on the order of 61,000 handovers a day, all seamless, so bots keep moving. ![Picture1](https://celona.io/volumes/images/Resources/_768x332_fit_center-center_70_none_ffffff/56677/Picture1.webp) Predictable, always-connected mobility cut downtime by 90%. In a fully automated DC the stakes are high — bot downtime can run on the order of $50,000 a day (approximate industry estimate, not customer-reported) — so cutting it by 90% protects real throughput and revenue. And because seven APs cover what would have taken around 120, rollouts are far faster and simpler — up to a 10× reduction in the access points needed to cover the warehouse, with correspondingly less cabling and maintenance. At a Glance Customer**Fully automated distribution center** Vertical**Warehousing & logistics** Facility**600K sq-ft, 14 levels; 7 ft × 300 ft bot cages** Location**Confidential** Spectrum**CBRS / private 5G** Solution - Celona private 5G — full 600K sq-ft, 14-level coverage - 7 private 5G APs (≈17× fewer than Wi-Fi) - Seamless, network-controlled handover for 30 mph+ bots - Onboard cellular gateways on each bot - Celona Edge + Orchestrator - 90% downtime reduction; up to 10× fewer APs / Related resources ## Go deeper More resources on private wireless for the enterprise. [Case Studies NEW ### Global data center hyperscaler needing deterministic wireless at a AI-dense server floor A global hyperscaler deployed Celona Orion private 5G across its server floors to give technicians reliable mobility in high-interference AI compute environments — while Wi-Fi continues to serve office and administrative spaces. Data centers · Jul 2026 ](https://celona.io/resources/global-data-center-needs-deterministic-wireless-amidst-rf-interference) [Installation Guide NEW ### Celona AP25-48 installation guide Data centers · Warehousing & logistics · Jul 2026 ](https://celona.io/resources/celona-ap25-48-installation-guide) [Data Sheet NEW ### WAP14 data sheet High-density enterprise Wi-Fi 7, unified with Private 5G through the Celona Orion platform. Data centers · Warehousing & logistics · Jul 2026 ](https://celona.io/resources/wap14-data-sheet) [Access all Resources ](https://celona.io/resources) / Next step ## See what Celona Orion can do for your plant Talk to the team behind Del Conca's deployment, or take the platform for a spin. [ Request a demo → ](https://celona.io/contact-us) [ Explore the platform → ](https://celona.io/manufacturing)