Future Technologies is deploying a private 5G edge system from Nokia at Maher Terminals in the New York/Jersey maritime port complex. Separately, Nokia has unveiled ruggedized 5G tactical comms solutions for “battlefield digitalization”.
In sum – what to know:
Maritime 5G – for Maher Terminals at Port Elizabeth for yard, crane, and gate operations.
Battlefield 5G – new ruggedized Nokia smartphone and radio for the defense sector.
5G partners – integrator Future Tech is a busy channel for Nokia for ports and defense.
Maher Terminals, operating at Port Elizabeth in the New York and New Jersey maritime complex in the US, is getting a private 5G edge set-up from Nokia – courtesy of system integrator Future Technologies. The system is to support its terminal operations, including yard management, crane management, and gate operations. Future Technologies, a genuine heavyweight in the US private 5G supply sector, has a long history with Nokia in the sector. Maher Terminals claims to have “developed” the “largest marine container terminal” in the US.
Separately, Nokia has launched two new tactical comms solutions for the defense sector – where, incidentally, Future Technologies has a stream of US-based private 5G supplies with the Finnish vendor. One is a smartphone for ‘mission-critical’ comms (called Mission-Safe Phone); the other is a portable 5G “network hub” for the same (Banshee 5G Tactical Radio). Both are ruggedised for harsh environments, and combine, apparently, as an “end-to-end system” for “modern military operations”.
The deployment for Maher Terminals at Port Elizabeth includes both Nokia’s Digital Automation Cloud (DAC) private networking product, and its Mission Critical Industrial Edge (MXIE) compute system. Nokia is also supplying industrial devices, plus device management and digital twin software. New Jersey-based Maher Terminals operates a 450 acre (1.8 million square-metre) marine container terminal at the site; it unloads two million containers per year for customers in the shipping industry. It is “the major container ship facility for cargo entering and leaving the New York metropolitan area”, said a statement.
Certainly, even if only parts of the site are covered, it is a major undertaking (and a major coup) for Nokia and Future Technologies. A press statement said very little else about the likely devices, applications, and use cases – except that the operator will “take advantage of real-time data and analytics” for “operational efficiency and fluidity throughout the terminal”. Standard port cases include worker comms and safety, plus IoT sensors and AI analytics for vehicle/cargo scanning, environmental measures, and other operational insights.
Laura Markham, chief information officer at Maher Terminals, said: “We chose the Nokia solution to enhance our wireless connectivity, security and scalability to improve our equipment’s network reliability and communications, as well as providing superior connectivity options as we deploy advanced cargo handling and identification capabilities. The private wireless aspects also helped us meet our cybersecurity objectives in securing port operations.”
Peter Cappiello, chief executive at Future Technologies, said: “We understand the needs and challenges of the transportation and logistics industry. We selected Nokia… because [its solutions] scale and flexibly support a wide range of use cases and applications for our customers.”
David de Lancellotti, vice president of enterprise campus edge sales at Nokia, said: “We are excited to… deploy a platform that will help Maher Terminals achieve its business and sustainability goals. Our edge platform… integrating devices, edge computing, applications, and private wireless connectivity… will [help with] operational efficiency and visibility across [Maher Terminals’] port operations.”
APM Terminals (part of A. P. Moller-Maersk) and Port Newark Container Terminal (owned by Ports America) also operate in the Port of New York and New Jersey complex.
The other news from Nokia, about its expanded 5G defense portfolio, is about “battlefield digitalization” and “unified battlefield communications”. Nokia said:
“Developed and manufactured in Europe, the new [Nokia Mission-Safe Phone] features a long-lifecycle chipset from Qualcomm. It is an open, customizable platform designed to seamlessly integrate new features, applications, and accessories, adapting to diverse customer needs and preferences…. It offers military-grade durability and supports high-bandwidth applications, including multimedia and data-intensive operations. It is available in three versions, each adapted to support a range of missions and operational needs. All variants are MIL-Standard 810H and IP68 certified, ensuring resilience, reliability and mission readiness in any environment…
“The upgraded Banshee 5G Tactical Radio… [is a] rugged, portable mobile ‘network in a box’… designed for quick setup, strong security, and easy transport. With 5G, it offers higher bandwidth, faster speeds, and lower latency, making communications more reliable in challenging conditions. This Banshee radio gives teams a powerful tactical network anywhere it is needed, enabling instant coordination, fast data sharing, and better situational awareness in the field.”
