Nokia has deployed a private wireless network for Husky Terminal and Stevedoring, a terminal operator and stevedoring company based at the US Port of Tacoma, Tacoma, Washington. The deployment of a secure, low latency private wireless network allows Husky Terminal to reinvent its marine freight operations using digital technologies.

Nokia deployed the private 4.9G/LTE wireless network to support Husky Terminal’s upgrade to a cloud-based terminal operating system (TOS), allowing the company to manage and coordinate terminal operations from anywhere.

The network, which employs Nokia Digital Automation Cloud (DAC), has removed reliability and capacity issues that the company had previously experienced using traditional Wi-Fi with its previous TOS. Husky Terminal is now supported by low latency connectivity across its 115+ acre container yard, which has been achieved in a network footprint using 91 percent less hardware.

Coverage has been enabled through the deployment of six 4.9G/LTE antennas in four access point locations, compared to the 39 Wi-Fi access points required to cover the same area, reducing the amount of fibre required at the site, as well as other operational costs. With over 40 yard trucks connected, Husky Terminal can monitor them to aid worker activities. It is now investigating use cases that will build on private wireless to enhance operations for customers and teams.

Philip Styf, Director of IT, Husky Terminal, said: “The deployment of Nokia private LTE was a significant milestone for us at the Port of Tacoma and has exceeded our expectations. The regular disconnections and packet loss that we experienced over Wi-Fi, that created downtime and impacted productivity, are now a thing of the past. With reliability no longer a concern, we’ve moved from firefighting mode to focusing on the strategic use cases that will further enhance operations for our customers as well as our teams working at the port.”

David de Lancelloti, VP, Enterprise Campus Edge Business at Nokia, said: “Industrial-grade Nokia Private Wireless networks are the cornerstone of the digital transformation journey at ports. We worked in close collaboration with Husky Terminal to design and deliver a private 4.9G/LTE network that satisfied their need for robust reliable connectivity. The industrial-grade Nokia DAC digitalisation platform will be critical as Husky Terminal evolves its modernisation plans at the Port of Tacoma.”