Efficiency in ports is a must, especially since about 90% of the world’s trade is dependent on maritime transportation. However, ports around the world face the common challenges of increasing labour cost, high labour intensity, harsh working environments, and insufficient personnel. These, in turn, create knock-on effects like a longer vessel waiting time, truck congestion & overall inefficiency.

For telcos, diversification into maritime is an immensely appealing opportunity. Ports are noting massive efficiency improvement opportunities when they partner with a telecommunication provider. This insight captures the use cases enabled and enhanced by the next generation of mobile networks, 5G. We will uncover opportunities for telcos in serving ports in the short, mid and long term.

How can 5G solve the problem with the existing network in the ports?

Technologies used in current port operations, such as optical cable, waveguide, and WiFi have technical, cost, maintenance, and security issues. In addition, these technologies have the following disadvantages:

1. The WiFi anti-interference capability and coverage capabilities are unable to support a large number of users.
2. Transmission employing waveguides, leaky cables, and optical fibres cause inefficiencies in the overall system architecture.
3. The unit cost of the existing wireless technologies is expensive.

5G technology has several inherent advantages:

• URLLC: Ultra-Reliable Low-Latency Communications, reduced latencies of 1ms or less, supported with high reliability
• mMTC: Massive Machine Type Communications as a characteristic of 5G to support a large number of connected devices
• eMBB: Enhanced Mobile Broadband brings greater data-bandwidth

A) Short-term opportunities:

1. Remote control of gantry cranes and quayside containers

What are they?
Rail-mounted gantry (RMG) cranes and rubber-tyred gantry (RTG) cranes are popular for lifting heavy objects. In ports, a gantry crane is about 30 meters high, and the operator’s cabin is at the top of the gantry crane. Quayside cranes are used to offload containers from the cargo ship on the quayside. The height of a gantry crane is roughly 30 meters, whereas quayside container cranes are 60–70 meters high.

The challenges
The location of the operator’s cabin is at the top of the cranes, which results in a harsh working environment. Remote control ensures convenience for operators and increased efficiency at the port, especially when implemented at scale.

Role of 5G
Remote control is possible by installing cameras and programmable logic controllers (PLCs). A gantry crane is required to upload 5-16 channels of surveillance videos at 1080p quality. This requires a network bandwidth of 30 Mbps. Quayside containers have 20 cameras requiring an average of 5 Mbps bandwidth. So, a network generating 100Mbps or more uplink bandwidth is essential.

So far, only 5G is capable of meeting such network requirements. Its high bandwidth and low latency sufficiently support video uploads and reliable PLC communications. One operator can control 3 to 6 gantry cranes in such a model while working in a favourable environment.

2. Artificial Intelligence and data analytics

Artificial intelligence (AI) solutions are vital in enabling predictability in ports. It can forecast demand for berths, streamline operations and provide a better experience for port users.

a) Machine vision and video surveillance

Machine vision is a field of AI that trains computers to recognise patterns and objects in video feeds.

This allows for automatic monitoring of berths, personnel, and traffic flow across the port:

• 5G makes it possible to connect thousands of cameras and other sensors to a single network
• Multi-access Edge Computing (MEC) improves data processing and reduces the machine vision system cost

Some other applications include:

1. No helmet warning AI-based identification of container IDs using crane cameras.
2. Security: Intelligent analysis of an operator’s facial expressions and status, with alarms for fatigue and drowsiness.
3. Operation management: license plate recognition and cargo recognition.
   

b) Managing huge data

Smart ports can unlock efficiency by leveraging the oceans of data that flow through them.

Connected devices will allow for extensive real-time data collection and analytics; workers, sensors, forklifts, vehicles, ships, cranes, drones, and cameras can work in unison.

The chunks of data can be processed, analysed and converted into insights useful for port operations.

c) Smart ships

Connected ships with augmented navigation information are a significant part of the smart port ecosystem.

Smart ships can gather real-time water, weather and communications data, analyse it and turn it into a valuable resource that ship and port operators can use to their advantage.

Remote assistance and monitoring of ship movement are made possible by cameras communicating in real-time and with AR/VR aid for the crew:

• URLLC & mMTC play a crucial role in improving security and safety during navigation
  

d) Cargo handling optimisation

Remote and automated cargo handling is enhanced by 5G. IoT devices on cranes ensure the safe, efficient collection and transportation of cargo throughout the port.

Data from various port equipment is put to use to keep track of time, trip distance, routes followed, and the weight of cargo discharged. This data is delivered to port management, allowing them to follow the ship-to-shore operations:

• URLLC, mMTC, network slicing, eMBB enables a shorter time to find cargo, less operational inefficiencies and reduced handling time per cargo unit.

3. Automated guided vehicles

Automated guided vehicles (AGVs) are software-controlled container transporters. They have surveillance cameras and smart 3D sensors. They also help load, unload, and transport cargo while moving freely and precisely around ports.

• 5G provides better network support for these applications
• For instance, if an AGV gets trapped in the operating field, the operator can use onboard cameras to learn about the environment, identify issues and manage the AGV remotely to get it out of the target area.

B) Mid-term opportunity: Drones

Drones help to obtain topographic information. By doing so, it generates an editable digital surface of the port by joining all the points. This enables the visualisation of future projects of the port.

Drones come with LIDAR technology, a remote laser technique that maps a 3D environment using precise geo-referencing. Through the same technique, the drone also obtains an ortho photo, an aerial photograph of the terrain that works the same way as a blueprint.

Few other applications include potential real-time threat and disaster detection, container damage identification, visitor vehicle identification.

Nowadays, drones are in use in aquatic testing and the study of underwater models.

• eMBB enables improved security for data transmission, better capacity to identify potential threats, and greater data reliability

Limitations- Why are drones a mid-term opportunity, not an immediate-term one?

1. Structure: The lightness of the drone makes it difficult to incorporate photographic and LIDAR equipment. Additionally, it has limited battery life, which is still an issue.
2. Legality: Drones are only allowed to fly in extraordinary circumstances, e.g. if the port is in a no-fly zone due to its closeness to an airport

C) Long-term opportunity: Autonomous trucks

Self-driving trucks have been in the limelight for quite some time now. While assisted driving is available today, fully automated driving is likely to be operational five years down the line.

A self-driving truck is equipped with many sensors, cameras and LIDARs to learn about its surroundings. This data collected is put to use to understand complex situations like traffic, the distance of objects from vehicles, and other small things.

In ports, autonomous trucks can move containers around in inter-terminal shipments independently, without the involvement of a human. As a result, production increases and traffic congestion decreases-

• 5G network slicing, i.e., subdivided into virtual network levels, enhances safety in self-driving. For example, safety-relevant notification is a priority as one network level can be solely allotted to automated driving.

D) Lessons from early successes

The Port of Hamburg – This is Germany’s largest port and the third largest container port in Europe. It has 8 terminals, 25 berths and 60 quayside cranes.

Port of Barcelona – This is the ninth largest port in Europe and the biggest in Spain. It is one of the oldest ports globally and has become a centre for tourist attractions in Spain.

Singapore Port – This is the busiest container transhipment hub and also the world leader in bunkering. It has connections to 600 ports in over 120 countries, and there are more than 1000 vessels in the port at any given time.

Busan Port – The port handles 40% of total marine cargo and 80% of container cargo in South Korea. It manages nearly 130 vessels every day.

Yangshan Port – This is the world’s largest automated container terminal. China constructed this port to enable the port of Shanghai to grow despite the challenge of shallow waters near the shore. The port set a benchmark for other ports around the world.

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