For the past several years, Operational technology (OT) networking has been on the brink of transformation—as emerging technologies promise to reshape how we design and monitor smart building systems. From massive campuses and cutting-edge hospitals to high-tech data centers and more, there are always some new developments that have the potential to create smarter, more efficient OT networks.
Could 2025 mark a turning point for more reliable and cost-effective solutions? Here’s the rundown on 9 OT Networking Trends for 2025 already in use across the networking landscape that are poised to have some impact on OT networking over the next year.
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- LoRaWAN
- Private 5G
- Edge Computing
- Predictive AI
- Blockchain
- Digital Twins
- Time-Sensitive Networking
- Self-Healing Networks
- 10BASE-T1L Ethernet
1. LoRaWAN: Expanding Connectivity in Remote Environments
LoRaWAN (Long Range Wide Area Network) is a low-power, wide-area networking protocol that’s gaining traction in OT environments, particularly for enabling IoT deployments. With its ability to cover vast distances and operate on minimal power, LoRaWAN is ideal for sprawling campuses and urban environments where traditional wired infrastructure may not be feasible.
Impact on OT Networks:
- Extended OT Network Reach: LoRaWAN can enable OT networks to extend into areas with previously limited connectivity, allowing real-time data collection from remote devices in settings like factories or smart cities.
- Wireless flexibility: Because it’s a wireless standard, LoRaWan can provide connectivity in previously inaccessible areas, or where covering large distances with a physical connection was impractical or cost prohibitive.
- Energy Efficiency: Its low power consumption allows certain OT and IoT devices to run for years on small batteries, making it suitable for energy-constrained environments.
- Cost-Effective Implementation: Compared to cellular or wired networks, LoRaWAN offers a more affordable option for deploying IoT sensors, enabling smarter and more automated facility management at scale.
2. Private 5G: Improving Connectivity in Dense OT Environments
Companies deploying their own private 5G networks are ushering in a new era of ultra-reliable, high-speed connectivity for IoT in OT applications. With low latency and the ability to handle large device densities, private 5G networks are set to redefine how OT systems interact in environments like hospitals, skyscrapers, and smart campuses.
That said, high costs and a strong, reliable connection to a fast LAN continue to be a potential barrier to many organizations.
Impact on OT Networks:
- Improved Connectivity: Private 5G can support the communication needs of high-density IoT networks, ensuring seamless integration of building management systems (BMS), HVAC, lighting, security, and more.
- Enhanced Reliability for Critical Systems: 5G networks can provide robust and secure connections for life-critical OT device systems in healthcare and ensure seamless automation in smart campuses, reducing the risk of downtime.
- Edge Computing Synergy: Private 5G’s low latency complements edge computing by facilitating faster, localized data processing. This will help smart buildings and hospitals make real-time adjustments to critical systems like security alerts or patient care monitoring.
3. Edge Computing: Intelligence Closer to the Action
Edge computing processes data locally, near where it’s generated, reducing latency and easing bandwidth demands. In OT networks, this can be a godsend for legacy networks that may struggle with the demands of modern devices or the amount of IoT traffic.
Impact on OT Networks:
- Reduced Latency: Because the raw data is pre-processed either by the device itself or a local server, there’s much less to transmit. When data needs to be processed in the central data center (or BMS), only the most important data is transmitted, thereby minimizing latency. This can be critical for monitoring systems in hospitals and labs while optimizing building systems on campuses and skyscrapers.
- Improved Reliability and Fallback: Local data processing ensures continuity of essential functions even if connectivity to central servers is lost. Hospitals can maintain life-critical systems, while smart buildings continue operations without interruption.
- Data Privacy and Security: By minimizing sensitive data in transit, edge computing enhances compliance with privacy regulations, making it a top choice for industries like healthcare.
4. AI for Predictive Maintenance: Proactively Managing OT Systems
AI has the potential to revolutionize predictive maintenance in OT networks. By analyzing historical and real-time data, systems, like predictive analytics, can identify patterns and predict when equipment might fail, helping network managers address potential issues before they lead to costly downtime.
Impact on OT Networks:
- Predictive Insights: AI-powered monitoring software can enable facility managers and systems integrators to predict failures and optimize maintenance schedules based on past results, reducing unplanned outages and improving system uptime, especially in mission-critical environments.
- Enhanced Troubleshooting: AI-driven insights can expedite root cause analysis, helping OT teams quickly identify and fix network issues.
- Integration with IoT: AI’s ability to analyze IoT sensor data could help provide an enhanced view of network health, making predictive capabilities even more robust.
5. Blockchain: Strengthening Security and Transparency in OT Networks
Blockchain technology, known for its decentralized and tamper-proof nature, is being explored for its potential to enhance security in OT networks. By using blockchain for data integrity and device management, OT systems can ensure secure, transparent communication while detecting and preventing unauthorized access.
Impact on OT Networks:
- Enhanced Security: Blockchain could provide a new layer of security for OT networks, making it difficult for malicious actors to alter critical information.
- BMS Access Control: Blockchain can manage access permissions for building systems, ensuring that only authorized personnel can make changes to HVAC, lighting, and security settings.
- Immutable Audit Trails: For industries like healthcare, blockchain will provide a transparent and unchangeable log of network events, ensuring compliance and aiding in forensic analysis after security incidents.
6. Digital Twins: Virtualizing OT Networks for Smarter Operations
Digital twins—a real-time virtual representation of physical assets and systems—are becoming increasingly important in OT networks. By continuously collecting data from sensors, digital twins enable real-time simulation, testing, and optimization of network performance.
Impact on OT Networks:
- Real-Time Monitoring: OT managers can monitor virtual network operations and simulate scenarios to address potential issues before they arise in the physical system.
- Predictive Analytics: Digital twins will support predictive maintenance and energy optimization, enabling smarter decision-making in smart campuses and industrial facilities.
- Collaboration and Training: Digital twins provide a safe environment for teams to conduct collaborative training without impacting live systems, improving preparedness and reducing operational risk.
7. Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN): Ensuring Real-Time Precision
Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN) is designed to support low-latency, deterministic communication across Ethernet networks. In OT environments where precise timing is critical—such as in industrial automation or data centers—TSN ensures that data packets are delivered on time, even in complex, high-volume IoT environments.
Impact on OT Networks:
- Real-Time Communication: TSN will enable precise synchronization between OT systems like robots, sensors, and controllers, which is essential for the safe and efficient operation of industrial environments.
- Integration of IT and OT Networks: TSN will allow IT and OT networks to converge, ensuring that high-priority OT traffic can be managed without latency, enhancing overall network efficiency.
- Scalability: TSN will help OT networks scale by maintaining consistent performance, even as more devices are added to the system.
8. Self-Healing Networks: Enhancing Network Resilience
Self-healing networks are designed to automatically detect, diagnose, and resolve issues without human intervention. While this idea isn’t new to many automated devices, this concept extends the idea of automated correction to the underlying network itself.
This technology has the potential to be critical in improving network uptime and minimizing disruptions in mission-critical environments or those with limited staff or vendor intervention.
Impact on OT Networks:
- Automated Fault Detection and Correction: Self-healing networks will reduce downtime by automatically addressing issues such as fault detection diagnostics or network congestion, ensuring continuous operation of the OT network itself.
- Improved Reliability: These networks will ensure stable communication even during hardware or software failures, making them ideal for OT environments that cannot afford downtime.
- Cost Savings: By automating fault resolution, self-healing networks will lower maintenance costs and reduce the need for emergency repairs.
9. 10BASE-T1L: Simplifying Ethernet Connectivity
10BASE-T1L is an Ethernet standard designed for long-distance, low-speed communication over a single twisted pair of wires. This technology is especially useful in industrial environments in need of OT network connectivity where devices are spread out over large areas and traditional Ethernet wiring is impractical.
Impact on OT Networks:
- Longer Cable Runs: 10BASE-T1L allows for Ethernet communication over distances of up to 1 kilometer, rather than 300m, making it easier to connect remote devices in industrial settings.
- Cost-Effective Infrastructure: Cheaper than Wi-Fi, 5G, and LoRaWAN, the reduced cabling costs and simplified topology make it an attractive option for large-scale OT networks.
- Power over Ethernet (PoE): 10BASE-T1L supports PoE, enabling data and power delivery over a single cable, reducing the need for separate power supplies in OT systems.
Next-Generation OT Networks Need Next-Generation Support
These kinds of OT Networking Trends for 2025 demand peak performance level all the time. With the speed and traffic requirements of more advanced IP networks, a constellation of IoT devices to support, and unquestionably reliable reporting data, maintaining network health has become a far more important factor than ever in OT environments.
For that, you need network monitoring and management software built to keep you on top of issues long before they become potential emergencies. With OptigoVN, you can instantly assess your network health and pinpoint BACnet issues down to the device in seconds. No more manual decoding of packet captures, climbing ladders, or splitting networks. Take back your time from low-level tasks and move into a routine of preventive maintenance rather than a break/fix model.
Ready to see what OptigoVN can do for your OT network? Contact us to schedule a demo or sign up for a free account to explore on your own today.
