German carrier Deutsche Telekom announced the start of the construction of a 5G field test at the port of Duisburg.

The telco explained that the initiative stipulates that the semi-automated control of port cranes is to be tested via mobile communications technology. The aim of the project is to increase the capacity of container handling operations. So far, semi-automated control of mobile cargo handling equipment in inland ports has not been possible, the telco said.

The state of North Rhine-Westphalia selected the project for funding via the 5G.NRW competition and will provide around EUR1 million ($998,000) over the next two years.

As part of the initiative, Deutsche Telekom is equipping the Logport I port site in Duisburg Rheinhausen with its own 5G campus network for the project, which can be tailored to individual technical requirements.

The German carrier said that semi-automation with the help of 5G technology should increase the capacity of the cranes, which would increase container turnover without the port needing additional floor space. The telco noted that there are also plans to use 5G technology to link a large number of cameras and sensors in the port area, something that will make the handling of goods by road, rail and water more transparent and therefore easier to manage.

In addition to the Duisport Group, local companies will also benefit from the construction of the 5G campus network on the port site. Thanks to 5G technology, they can automate and further optimize their individual processes. For crane operators, this not only improves conditions at work, but at the same time the new generation of mobile communications makes processes more reliable and safer, Deutsche Telekom said.

Hagen Rickmann, managing director of the business customer division at Deutsche Telekom, said: “Telekom not only has the opportunity to build and operate the infrastructure here in Duisburg. With this project, we will explore and develop new fields of application for 5G together with our partners. Digitization is playing an increasingly important role especially in logistics processes. 5G is an important driver for this. Both the Port of Duisburg and the companies operating there will benefit from this project.”

Deutsche Telekom previously said that 92% of households in the country can already access the carrier’s 5G network, while LTE coverage reaches 99% of the German population.

Deutsche Telekom also said that it is currently using 3.6 GHz frequencies for the provision of 5G services in more than 2,000 locations across Germany.

Walter Goldenits, managing director of technology at Telekom Deutschland, previously said that that 99% of households in Germany will have access to the telco’s 5G network by 2025.

The telco kicked off the rollout of its 5G network in a limited number of cities across Germany at the beginning of July 2019.
Source: Enterprise Insights