The City of Tacoma together with 5G Open Innovation Lab, EDGE Cluster and Washington Maritime Blue have switched on a 5G Private Network to support five businesses operating at the city’s port. The development is aimed at supporting the modernisation of port infrastructure, freight movement, supply chains and manufacturing within the City of Tacoma and sustaining business development and employment.

The development was supported by the Washington State Department of Commerce.

The private companies supported by this network include TOTE Maritime Alaska, Silverback Marine, Trident Seafoods, SAFE Boats International, and Motive Power Marine.

“Ports are the lifeblood of coastal economies around the world, and there is fierce competition to stay ahead. Washington State has a “Blue Economy” strategy in place to help the state create a thriving and sustainable maritime industry through 2050 and beyond,” said Joshua Berger, president and CEO of Washington Maritime Blue.

The pilot project provides initial network coverage for five enterprise companies while leveraging existing infrastructure, including floodlights and utility poles, to optimise cost and effort.

The network’s initial phase spans the East Blair Peninsula, where the companies’ operations are located. Scott Waller, CTO of the 5G Open Innovation Lab, led the design and implementation, collaborating with 5G OI Lab partners, including Comcast, Dell Technologies, VMware by Broadcom, Intel, Expeto, Ericsson, and others.

“Our goal from day one was to build an enterprise-ready private 5G network that’s extensible. The network we have today meets the needs of our current enterprise clients and can be extended to cover future clients across the Tacoma Tideflats,” said Scott Waller.

Jim Brisimitzis, CEO and General Partner of 5G OI Lab, added, “Networks are enabling platforms to solve enterprise problems. Together with our partners and alumni, we intend to demonstrate the true potential of private connectivity, edge computing, and applications as enablers to modernise enterprises in the Tideflats and beyond.”

The Tacoma Tideflats 5G Network Feasibility Study, developed by the 5G OI Lab, Washington Maritime Blue, Avanade, City of Tacoma, Washington Department of Commerce, Business Finland, Impact Washington, and Tacoma Power, was published in January 2022. The study uncovered use cases and critical investment areas that several businesses located within the Tideflats identified as pivotal for their operations.

The new network has received funding through the Washington State Department of Commerce Evergreen Manufacturing Growth Grant, awarded in June 2023. The investment will foster a technology platform to support initiatives from the study such as:

• Orchestration and Efficiency across the Tacoma Tideflats, improving supply chain visibility.
• Infrastructure Modernisation of the Tacoma Tideflats, enhancing physical and virtual infrastructure.
• Improving Safety across the Tacoma Tideflats, prioritising worker and community safety.
• Enabling a Sustainable Future in the Tacoma Tideflats, focusing on ecological and community health.

“Everyone at the table is united by a desire to improve data sharing across the ecosystem including trucking, rails, ships, and the environment,” said Maritime Blue’s Berger. “In providing access to a private network to innovators and startups seeking to apply IoT technology to Blue Economy sectors, we can amplify the Tacoma Tideflats as the prime region in North America for tech development and living wage jobs. This Field Lab allows our team to facilitate and convene specific technology challenges that address key use cases benefiting from shared data and utilisation.”

“Collaboration and innovation are prominent characteristics of Tacoma, and this project is the latest example,” said Jeff Robinson, Director of Community and Economic Development for the City of Tacoma.