en.Wedoany.com Reported - Deutsche Telekom, in collaboration with Ericsson, has built and activated a private 5G campus network at the Altenwerder Container Terminal in the Port of Hamburg, Germany, providing real-time communication connections for terminal vehicles, sensors, mobile devices, and information systems. Covering approximately one square kilometer, the network is used by the terminal operated by Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG, primarily serving automated logistics, production scheduling, equipment networking, and testing of new port technologies.
The Altenwerder Container Terminal features dense automation equipment, with transport vehicles, loading and unloading machinery, sensing devices, and production management systems operating simultaneously on site. Traditional wireless networks in environments with large metal structures, container yards, and constantly moving equipment are prone to signal obstruction, interference, and fluctuations in concurrent business traffic. This newly built 5G campus network is deployed directly within the terminal's production area, with network resources dedicated to internal terminal use. It can be uniformly configured based on equipment communication and real-time business needs, reducing potential fluctuations that may occur when critical production data shares resources with public mobile networks.
According to the project design, the 5G network is tasked not only with providing mobile internet access for staff but also with connecting vehicles, sensors, mobile devices, and backend information systems into a single communication infrastructure. The terminal can use the network to continuously transmit vehicle positions, equipment status, and on-site operational data, enabling the dispatch system to grasp production changes more promptly and providing communication support for the coordinated operation of automated equipment. Deutsche Telekom stated that the network maintains stable communication even under high load conditions while retaining future expansion capabilities, allowing the network coverage scope to be increased as new terminal equipment and applications are added.
The project was built using Ericsson's Private 5G solution. The main difference between a private 5G network and a public mobile communication network lies in its deployment for specific factory areas or production sites, allowing enterprises to set connection ranges, device permissions, and service quality based on their own business needs. For a port, different tasks have varying network requirements: production monitoring requires a large number of sensors to continuously upload data, remote control and autonomous driving equipment are more concerned with latency and connection stability, and mobile terminals used by staff need continuous access across different areas of the yard. A unified campus network can carry these services on the same infrastructure, but specific frequency configurations, base station quantities, and core network deployment methods have not yet been disclosed by the project parties.
In addition to daily production connections, this network is also positioned as a test environment for port digital technologies. The Port of Hamburg can test new automation equipment, mobile applications, and logistics solutions under real terminal operating conditions before deciding whether to integrate them into the formal production system. Compared to verification in laboratories or closed test sites, the real port environment—with continuous vehicle operations, changing cargo stacks, wireless signal obstructions, and business peaks—better tests whether the communication system and new applications can operate stably over the long term.
The project is part of the PROCON-5G initiative under Germany's "Port Digital Test Field" construction plan, focusing on using new communication infrastructure to support port technology development and application validation. After Deutsche Telekom, Ericsson, and Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG completed the network construction, the subsequent focus will shift from communication facility deployment to application integration, including connecting more vehicles and sensors, interfacing with real-time data platforms, testing automated logistics functions, and expanding network capacity.
From an information and communication infrastructure perspective, the project has formed a complete chain of "port area wireless coverage—production equipment access—real-time data transmission—backend system coordination." The 5G network serves as the communication foundation between terminal automation facilities and information systems, rather than an additional system independent of the production process. As the number of networked port equipment increases, network stability, coverage continuity, and expansion capability will directly impact the efficiency of automated operations. The operational experience of the Altenwerder Terminal will also provide a reference for deploying 5G private networks in other large logistics parks and industrial sites.
