Deloitte has subcontracted cloud location over cellular (C-LoC) technology firm Polte to develop a 5G-enabled smart warehouse prototype for the US Department of Defense (DoD) navy base in Coronado.

Texas-based Polte will work with Deloitte to equip the facility with its patented 5G massive IoT location technology for accurate indoor and outdoor cellular positioning. This will allows the DoD secure, universal visibility of critical assets and inventory with accuracy heightened by a supplemental 5G private network.

By providing real-time location intelligence, Polte enables service members to boost efficiency, increase effectiveness of their assets and respond quickly to changes in their environment. The DoD’s investment in this prototype lays the groundwork to scale capabilities across facilities, keeping service members ready for action.

The C-LoC technology provides seamless, indoor and outdoor location insights leveraging cloud computing and 4G and 5G global cellular networks. By using ubiquitous cellular infrastructure and private networks, users can eliminate the complexity and expense of additional hardware, access points or beacon deployments.

Offloading computational complexity from edge to cloud, Polte stretches the battery life of connected devices while safeguarding the privacy of produced location data. With the rollout of 5G, the technology unlocks more significantly enhanced indoor accuracy across campuses, warehouses and manufacturing zones. It provides end-to-end, universal asset visibility, with precision on the warehouse floor and utility that continues outdoors.

Unlike beacon-based indoor tracking technologies, this allows uninterrupted visibility over the wide area network as the asset leaves the building and is transported to its next destination.

Deloitte was selected by the DoD as one of the most qualified to oversee the demonstration and selection of 5G technology applications for the naval base smart warehouse prototype. Deloitte sought and vetted technologies that would improve the efficiency and safety of material and supply handling, management, storage, and distribution.

“We are excited to kick off this programme to prototype a truly state-of-the-art facility for the DoD,” said Kelly Marchese, principal with Deloitte Consulting. “Today’s legacy warehouse systems are impacted by issues including inefficient use of time, lack of inventory visibility and cyber vulnerabilities. However, leveraging innovative 5G location technology, tomorrow’s service members will not only be able to decrease manual processes and redirect attention to uniquely human tasks that support the mission, but keep classified location data protected while doing so.”

Work on the 5G smart warehouse prototype commenced in February, and is projected for completion in 2024. Phase one will include roadmap assessments, experiment plan development and security reviews prior to capability demonstration.

“In an increasingly hyper-connected society, the power of location is absolutely fundamental to the success of 5G,” said Ed Chao, CEO of Polte. “Secure, accurate positioning is vital to the management and monitoring of everything that’s important, streamlining operations for both enterprises and governments. We are grateful for this incredible opportunity to serve our country and our service men and women.”