Four key learnings to accelerate your transition to 5G

Ahead of the Maritime Innovation Week on 13-16 June, PTI has welcomed a submission from Claire Caminade, Head of 5G Product and Partnerships at Digital Catapult and Ian Blake, Head of Innovation and Technology at the Port of Tyne. How can 5G transform your port operations? Our experts delve deeper into learnings, investment strategies, and more.

Compared with other nations, the UK has taken an early lead when it comes to adoption of 5G and this is in part thanks to ongoing support on offer from organisations like Digital Catapult and our typically very ‘pro technology’ government. It’s why some US telcos are securing their first 5G in maritime project here in the UK, but have yet to complete an implementation on home ground. US ports simply haven’t shown the same levels of interest in securing their digital futures as yet, compared to here in the UK.

Attitudes to early technology adoption are not the only drivers. The UK is unique in having a tripartite of influences which have arisen as a direct result of:

COVID-19 – the pandemic has accelerated digital transformation in all sectors.
Brexit – Leaving the EU has reaffirmed how important ports and maritime industries are to our economy.
Net Zero – The US has only recently renewed its focus on decarbonisation as a result of the new Biden administration.
Ultimately, whatever the reasons for our higher current engagement, 5G is clearly where the future for maritime lies. When it comes to rolling out this technology in UK ports, the decision to invest should be less about the ‘if’ or ‘why’ and more about the ‘when’ and ‘how’. The Port of Tyne has carefully evaluated the benefits of 5G and by applying our insights, other ports in the UK could accelerate their own progress, taking advantage of the learning curve already experienced at the Port of Tyne.

Why is 5G so important for maritime?

Ports currently have two major challenges – digitalisation and decarbonisation. When it comes to digitalisation, the argument is very clear cut. It is not possible to ‘go digital’ without a 5G network, because digitalisation involves collecting data. Ultimately, you can have the best algorithms and software analytics, but without the right data at the right time for decision making, progress is impossible. 5G is the only technology that is currently available and able to deliver data in a secure and ubiquitous way – it is effectively a deal breaker for ports to be able to achieve their future objectives.

https://www.porttechnology.org/news/category/smart-technologies/