At 2019 Globe Mobile Broadband Forum (MBBF 2019), Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries Company (ZPMC), Vodafone, China Mobile and Huawei jointly release 5G Smart Port White Paper. This white paper provides a deep interpretation of 5G use cases in building an automation and intelligent port, aiming to accelerate application research and project commercialisation.
As the hub of modern transportation, ports play an important role in promoting international trade. According to relevant statistics, about 90% of global trade relies on maritime transportation. Efficiency is the lynchpin of the port industry.
Traditional ports rely on human resources to operate container cranes which is harsh working environments, heavy labour intensity and insufficient personnel. As a result, the rapid development of global sea transportation cannot be met as required. Port automation and intelligent reconstruction have become the industry’s overarching goals.
As 5G gearing up, thanks to its low latency, large bandwidth and high reliability, 5G will provide a new communication solution for port equipment, and inject new impetus into smart port reconstruction. Based on experience from ZPMC and Huawei, improving container transfer efficiency is the main service requirement for ports, and rubber-tyred gantry (RTG) crane is the first priority scenario.
With large bandwidth capability of 5G, real-time transmission of High Definition (HD) videos can be realised, and low latency capability of 5G can realise remote real-time control based on programmable logic controllers (PLCs). The operators can complete gantry crane operations (such as precise movement of cranes or lifting appliances and container pickup) remotely from the central control room. One operator can control multiple gantry cranes while working in a favorable environment, greatly improving working efficiency.
In addition, 5G can provide convenient and low-cost wireless network connections for multiple applications, such as autonomous driving of automated guided vehicles (AGV) and Intelligent Guided Vehicle (IGV), video surveillance in port. In combination with edge computing and AI, 5G can help synchronise and coordinate port devices and production systems, improve the intelligence and operational efficiency.
Through field practice, white paper participants believe partnership is vital to the port industry. In China, Huawei and China Mobile have been consolidating partnerships with ZPMC, and provided 5G private networks in Shanghai Yangshan Port and Ningbo Port to verify RTG carne remote control.
Du Yeqing, vice president of Huawei’s 5G Product Line said, 5G will not only bring revolutionary experience enhancement to terminal consumers, but also accelerate the digitalisation, automation and intelligent transformation of vertical industries.
Besides providing high-quality 5G network connections with global operators, Huawei is also looking forward to cooperate with global ecosystem partners to Cultivate new opportunities. With the release of this white paper, Huawei will work with ZPMC, Vodafone and China Mobile to develop more effective solutions for port customers leveraging technologies such as AI, cloud computing, big data, and IoT.
The 2019 Global Mobile Broadband Forum is attended by more than 1,600 people from operators, industries, vertical markets, standard and industry organisations, as well as media and analyst firms, from all over the world. Demonstrations on site showcase the latest 5G technology solutions, commercial cases and the rich applications for 2C, 2H, 2B areas including 5G cloud AR/VR, live 8K broadcast over 5G, and machine vision and remote control powered by 5G, etc. For more details, click here
Click the link to download the white paper to learn more details of 5G Smart Port White Paper.
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