Peel Ports, Cisco & Logicalis Deliver 10x Faster Private 5G
The Peel Ports P5G project is a pivotal use case for the UK Government’s ON-SIDE initiative, a programme that brings together public sector bodies, academic institutions and technology providers to test and validate shared spectrum management, coexistence strategies and business cases for private 5G (P5G) deployment.
As the project’s focal point, the Port of Liverpool has become a national benchmark for digital transformation in port logistics.
Delivering on strategic and operational goals
The project began with a focus on reducing dependence on public networks and enhancing control over port-wide connectivity. It aimed to deliver improved operational efficiency, better security and agility to support future port automation. Logicalis UK&I played a lead role as both a trusted advisor and integrator of services, combining its experience with contributions from Cisco’s cloud-managed Mobility Services Platform, Nokia’s AirScale radio access network and Intel’s hardware expertise.
Desmond O’Connor, Cisco’s Business Development Leader, stated, “From the outset, we looked around the UK to determine sectors that could benefit from a P5G and then for companies that were ready to make that co-investment to determine whether P5G has a role in their digital strategy.”
Peel Ports Group obtained a ‘Shared Access Licence’ from Ofcom, granting exclusive use of a lightly licensed spectrum at their site. The licence underpins the private network and delivers robust connectivity advantages compared to public 5G or Wi-Fi, notably, service-level guarantees, a broad device ecosystem and seamless IT/OT security integration.
Engineering a fit-for-purpose network
Frank Rubotham, Head of Solution Specialists and Propositions at Logicalis UK&I, outlined the challenge: “From our point of view, it was all about designing the solution to ensure that the use cases across the port could be fully tested and their success measured.
"This entails looking at the environment where connectivity is required, undertaking detailed radio planning and simulation exercises and ultimately getting to a design that would support the proof of technology.”
Peel Ports’ aim has always been to future-proof operations and P5G now offers the agility to scale with demand.
Julie Rimmer, Technology and Automation Transformation Director at Peel Ports Group explained, “P5G will give us greater control over the connectivity that we need across the port. It will allow us to enhance security, reduce latency and restrict bandwidth for certain functions.”
Overcoming challenges unique to port environments
One key hurdle was maintaining stable wireless connectivity across the expansive 100-acre container terminal, which is traditionally hindered by heavy machinery, moving vehicles and metallic infrastructure.
Frank noted, “Ports are very difficult environments to deliver wireless networks into, with lots of moving machinery and people as well as large metal structures, but P5G has made this much easier; it has reduced the amount of cabling that is required and the number of hardware devices.”
Three Nokia small cell radios operating on the n77 band were mounted on existing towers, removing the need for new physical structures, a win for both cost-efficiency and sustainability. The radios provide uninterrupted coverage, unaffected by the physical interference that commonly disrupts Wi-Fi signals.
Real-world impact: Greater safety, speed and data access
The transformation has delivered tangible improvements in day-to-day operations. “Since we’ve had the installation, we have seen less dropouts around the quayside, so we know there is an improvement in connectivity,” confirmed Julie.
Devices across the port, including cranes and straddle carriers, communicate in real-time, helping operators boost efficiency, enhance worker safety and streamline maintenance. The port’s Wi-Fi-based network had previously struggled with service interruptions and long-distance communication challenges, particularly with mobile equipment.
Network performance has improved tenfold, cabling has been significantly reduced and new capabilities such as “man-down” alerts and push-to-talk communication via SIM-enabled devices are now within reach.
Desmond added, “This is connecting the cranes and gantry carriers and in the long term, this could also facilitate push-to-talk and man-down technology on phones, tablets and security cameras. As long as it has a SIM card, it can be connected with P5G.”
Data-driven decision-making at the core
For Peel Ports, the most transformative shift may lie in how data is accessed and used. Damian Cross, Head of Containers Technology & Automation at Peel Ports Group, summarised, “We’ve always been constrained in terms of engineering or operations, to get information or data that isn’t always easily accessible. You now have very small devices that you can deploy anywhere, to connect to a network and feed that back instantaneously.”
He continued, “Every morning, we sit in 8 o’clock meetings and look at data within our operations. This P5G network delivers this on a plate to us, directly. The amount of equipment we can fit on is now endless.”
A model for future connectivity
The Peel Ports P5G deployment sets a new standard as port authorities, logistics providers and critical infrastructure operators explore digital transformation. It showcases what is possible when private networks, intelligent design and strategic partnerships converge in pursuit of resilient, efficient and data-rich operations.
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