Cellular connectivity for SCADA and OT

Updated 26 October 2026

Field equipment such as PLCs, RTUs and meters can use cellular networks without ever being exposed to the internet: with a private APN, each device has a private address and its traffic is delivered only into your control network or your cloud. Remote sites get the reach of mobile networks and the isolation of a private line.

Status: Coming soon (checked 26 October 2026) · Notify me when available

Key points

No internet path. No public IP on the device, no port forwarding, no remote-access box on the internet.
Your firewalls decide. Every flow enters through your network, where your rules, logs and intrusion detection already apply.
Fits industrial security models. The cellular link is a conduit between zones in the sense of ISA/IEC 62443.
Works with small radios. LTE-M and NB-IoT sensors benefit without running any VPN software.

Reference design

PLC / RTU ── 4G or LTE-M router ── mobile network ── private APN
                                                        │  private link (cloud interconnect or cross-connect)
                                                        ▼
                                   your firewall ── SCADA servers / historian (control zone)

Remote maintenance without exposure

Maintenance engineers connect to your network first (your VPN, your bastion), then reach the field device over the private APN. The device itself never accepts a connection from the internet. This replaces remote-access boxes that must be reachable from outside.

Regulation

The NIS2 directive requires entities in its scope to manage the risks to their network and information systems. Keeping field devices off the internet removes a whole class of exposure; it is one measure among those the directive expects, not a substitute for them.

How private delivery works
Deliver into your datacenter
Private APN vs public APN vs VPN
Cellular module setup by model: APN and AT commands for LTE-M, NB-IoT and LTE modules

Frequently asked questions

Is it safe to connect a PLC over 4G?

It is if the PLC is never reachable from the internet. With a private APN, the PLC gets a private address and its traffic goes only to your control network or cloud, where your firewalls apply.

How does cellular fit with IEC 62443 zones and conduits?

The private APN and its delivery link form a conduit between the remote zone (the field device) and the control zone (your SCADA servers). You define which flows cross it, as for any other conduit.

Does NIS2 apply to my remote sites?

If your organisation falls within the scope of the NIS2 directive, its network and information systems, remote sites included, fall under its risk management duties. A connectivity design without internet exposure helps meet them; it does not replace them.