Thames Freeport lands multisite private 5G network | Computer Weekly

In the latest example of the growing crucial nature of communications infrastructure, Thames Freeport has forged a partnership with Verizon Business and Nokia to deploy private 5G networks across multiple key logistics, manufacturing and innovation sites along the River Thames Estuary.

Designated as a Freeport Free Trade Zone by the UK government in December 2021, Thames Freeport is one of the busiest maritime logistics hubs in the UK and has a stated aim of boosting economic growth, creating high-value jobs and attracting global investment as part of a long-term effort to revive the UK’s River Thames Estuary region.

The zone encompasses the ports of Tilbury and DP World London Gateway, as well as the Dagenham plant of the Ford automotive company. Thames Freeport is expected to draw £4.5bn of new investment and has already created 1,400 jobs, and plans to reach 5,000 by 2030, with a focus on high-skilled training for local communities.

The Verizon private 5G networks are intended to serve as the technology foundation for a multiyear operational transformation and economic revival scheme working across multiple key logistics, manufacturing and innovation sites. The network buildout is designed to provide a scalable, long-term connectivity foundation for advanced data, artificial intelligence (AI), edge compute and internet of things (IoT) infrastructure deployments aimed at transforming port and manufacturing operations.

Nokia is the sole hardware and software provider for the networks, which will incorporate its Digital Automation Cloud (DAC) platform and MX Industrial Edge (MXIE) system.

Managing the use of the private 5G network infrastructure will be the responsibility of Thames Freeport and its tenant shareholder organisations. This is designed to ensure fit-for-purpose connectivity that adapts to site-specific requirements while safeguarding data and operational autonomy.

Select priorities include enabling advanced technology layers such as AI, edge computing and IoT across active industrial sites where Freeport stakeholders can collaborate on new applications. For example, industrial sites could use IoT for autonomous yard tractors and quay cranes and for near real-time tracking, smart routing and condition monitoring for cargo. That could allow tenants to intake cargo, assess quantity and condition, and ship it out faster and more efficiently, losing less to damage or misplacement. 

Our investment in private 5G is the backbone of a technological transformation fuelling our long-term multi-stakeholder mission

In addition, AI with edge computing can help manage environmental impact through edge-connected smart sensors and AI-driven analytics that monitor and optimise port operations and asset performance, including near-real-time monitoring of emissions, air and water quality, and noise levels.

The private 5G networks will be deployed at several key sites. Primarily, they will be installed at DP World London Gateway and DP World Logistics Park, the UK’s largest and most integrated deep-sea container port and logistics facility, with port capacity to handle over three million units per year. The hub includes a rail terminal with 20 daily services and a 9.25 million square foot high-tech logistics centre.

They will also be deployed at two sites in the Port of Tilbury, the largest of the mixed-use Thames Freeport ports. Tilbury handles 16 million tonnes of cargo per year across 31 independent working terminals. Operated by Forth Ports, the sites comprise a logistics hub for the construction, automotive, and food and drink sectors. Ford Dagenham will also be included, offering access to regional manufacturing clusters, proximity to suppliers and bringing key production closer to the end market.

“A flexible, high-performance connectivity platform is critical to our long-term vision. Our investment in private 5G is not an incremental network upgrade – it’s the backbone of a technological transformation fuelling our long-term multi-stakeholder mission,” said Martin Whiteley, CEO of Thames Freeport.

“[This] includes operational excellence for tenants; ROI [return on investment] for shareholders like Ford, DP World and Forth Ports; innovation leadership for public and private benefit; circular economy models supporting efficient energy models; empowering community development by enabling high-value job creation and training; and transforming public services with near-real-time diagnostics at health service sites,” he added.

“By partnering with Verizon Business and Nokia, we’re delivering the technology needed to propel our region to the front of the leading edge.”