The future of mobile communication is called 5G. And our port is a trailblazer. This gigantic network is currently being officially tested in the Hanseatic City of Hamburg and in Turin by the 5G Mobile Network Architecture (MoNArch) research project funded by the EU. A transmitter which is installed in over 150 m on Hamburg's television tower, covers the 8,000 hectares of testing ground in the port area.
'5G offers safety, reliability and speed which didn't exist in mobile networks before. It opens completely new fields of application', say Jens Meier, CEO of HPA. 'We are already able to gain experience with this future technology and can also shape the standard. Not only does the port profit from this but also the whole city of Hamburg.'
The new mobile network is expected to significantly increase the data capacities for mobile technologies and applications in Europe as of 2020. It will be ten times faster than LTE with a maximum bandwidth of 10 Gigabit per second.
To fulfil the extensive demands on the test network, special virtual networks are being put up in the 5G test network. These so called 'Network Slices' can be used for different scopes of duties. In this way the networks can be dynamically and felxibly adapted to the requirements of various applications.
In the Port of Hamburg, we are testing the realization of the underlying concepts regarding the use of 5G Network Slices in real test environment to be able to improve them later on in the process. The focus lies on logistical applications concerning traffic and infrastructure control. These demand a very reliable and safe telecommunications network. At the same time, it has to support quite a number of applications. In the Port of Hamburg those applications are diverse und the used control systems are world-leading, which is why the requirements are particularly high. For example, traffic lights in the port area are supposed to be controlled via mobile communication and environmental data is meant to be gathered and processed in real-time. In addition, Virutal Reality applications are planned to help controlling the infrastructure to create a safer environment.
• Testing the architecture of the fifth mobile network generation with real-life applications
• Ensuring rapid and reliable communication
• Expanding the 5G architecture through use of architecture concepts like Inter-Slice Control and cross-domain management
• Knowledge transfer and contributing to the Europe-wide implementation of 5G
• International attention for the port of Hamburg, its innovativeness and forward-looking approach
• Increase in the port’s recognition as a modern base for existing and future companies, neighbors and citizens
