CENTREPORT Wellington has announced plans to roll out New Zealand’s first commercial private 5G network later this year.
Tū Ātea, a Māori-run spectrum and telecommunications service, is building the network for the North Island port under a partnership between the two companies.
The network, due to go live in the third quarter of 2025, would be designed to give port workers dedicated productivity across port operations.
It would initially provide high-speed connections to dozens of tablet devices used in vehicles and cranes. Tū Ātea expects the connectivity to boost productivity and security at the port and bolster health and safety efforts.
The network would comprise several 5G high-power radio transceivers and antennas deployed on CentrePort’s existing light-pole infrastructure, connected over a fibre optic network to Tū Ātea’s converged (4G and 5G capable) packet core.
“It means we can provide 5G network slicing to CentrePort, which is a game changer when it comes to offering dedicated wireless capacity for mission-critical operations,” Tū Ātea CEO Antony Royal said.
CentrePort CEO Anthony Delaney said reliable and fast communication is vital for the safety of the port’s staff and overall efficiency.
“Coverage can be tricky due to large ships and container stacks blocking radio signals,” Mr Delaney said.
“This Private 5G network will be optimised to overcome that and will underpin converged smart network features we are planning.”
The Private 5G network builds on CentrePort’s recent efforts to innovate its port operations, including a pilot scale of an onsite battery energy storage system and second solar array, which it expects to improve resilience and enhance the potential for future emission reductions.
“This is an exciting opportunity for us show others what can be done and the benefits solutions like a Private 5G network can offer,” Mr Delaney said.
Tū Ātea believes private 5G networks can power industry and underpin innovative new services at sea ports, airports and manufacturing plants.
