In partnership with The West of England Combined Authority (WECA), Cellnex will develop 5G products and services for Bristol Port and Gravity Smart Campus. The government-backed project will demonstrate how 5G private networks can offer efficiency and productivity improvements to the logistics ecosystem.

London, 13 January 2021. Cellnex UK is partnering with The West of England Combined Authority (WECA), and an industry consortium*, to develop 5G products and services to support operations at Bristol Port and Gravity Smart Campus. The project will establish a blueprint for smart and dynamic port environments. It will focus on security, traceability, and real-time monitoring within and across extendable virtual boundaries and between public and private networks.

Matt Warman, Minister for Digital Infrastructure, said, “This trailblazing project, funded through our £200 million 5G trials programme, will explore how revolutionary new 5G connectivity could make our ports more efficient and secure, as we attract major investment from across the globe post-Brexit. I look forward to seeing it in action.”

The Government has backed the project as part of its 5G Create competition – which supports innovative uses of 5G to improve society and boost business. The project will demonstrate how 5G private networks can offer efficiency and productivity improvements to the logistics ecosystem, including other UK ports, Enterprise Zones or other business parks by:

• Improving port estate management and the efficiency of logistics arrival/handling/despatch, including allowing real-time location tracking of individual items,
• Allowing improvements to road traffic management, including traceability and continuous geolocation, and monitoring goods and materials to coordinate movements between Freeport and linked zones, and
• Replacing low value, manually intensive processes, with 5G-enabled autonomous smart systems.

*WECA is leading a consortium of partners, including Adva Ltd, Airspan, AttoCore, Bristol Port, Cellnex, Gravity, Maritime, Unmanned Life, Bristol City Council, Bristol University and Cardiff University.

WECA press release: www.westofengland-ca.gov.uk/west-of-england-secures-3m-for-innovative-5g-trial-to-boost-business/

UK Government press release:www.gov.uk/government/news/28-million-to-trial-innovative-new-uses-of-5g-to-improve-peoples-lives