Located at the APM Terminals terminal in Puerto Progreso, Yucatan (Mexico), using Nokia's Digital Automation Cloud (DAC) platform, powered by AT&T Mexico.
The new network uses 4.9G LTE to provide high-bandwidth, low-latency connectivity, and improve network predictability across piers and yards. At the same time, it will also connect hundreds of workers, sensors, equipment, and vehicles across 11.5 hectares.
“This has been the first Private Cellular Network for AT&T Mexico Business Unit," said Gabriel Fernández, director of innovation & IoT at AT&T Mexico.
"The needs and demands of our customers are always evolving, though, and we're upgrading with them. Private networks are increasingly important for businesses – especially in Industry 4.0 environments with a lot of connected devices, where privacy, data control and performance are all crucial.”
Nokia's DAC, an end-to-end private wireless network and edge computing platform, provides industrial grade wireless connectivity for the new APM Terminals Yucatán virtualised terminal operation system, enabling future use cases such as remote and autonomous crane operations within the piers and yards.
“We are working with AT&T Mexico and Nokia because of their expertise and unique knowledge in the Mexican telecom market," said Nathalie Rush, managing director of APM Terminals Yucatan.
"The signal strength has really exceeded our expectations so far. We can cover the entire port with the solution, reaching a radius of about 6 kilometres. This platform is already considered a reference for the rest of the terminals in the group.”
For its part, AT&T México has added Nokia’s enterprise capabilities, focusing on private networks o its private cellular networks solutions. As such, APM Terminals can now expand their digitalisation and automation abilities using LTE networks built on licensed spectrum.
“The US - Mexico - Canada free trade agreement (USMCA) accelerates investment and boosts the digital transformation of the logistic chain, including the support to maritime terminals," said Marcelo Entreconti, head of enterprise for Latin America, Nokia.
"By deploying an industrial-grade private wireless network with our strategic partner AT&T Mexico, we can provide robust, secure and predictable wireless connectivity, capable of supporting new digitalisation and automation use cases. With this project, APM Terminals confirms its leadership in the digitalisation of port operations in Latin America. We thank AT&T Mexico and APM Terminals for their trust and we are excited about our further collaboration.”
