Nokia teamed with Liberty Global’s Belgian subsidiary Telenet to trial new use cases aimed at improving the safety of shipping operations through the vendor’s developer portal, aligning with the GSMA’s Open Gateway initiative. 

The trial was conducted at the port of Antwerp in Belgium in collaboration with ship management company Seafar NV and R&D hub imec.

Nokia explained it combined Telenet’s standalone (SA) 5G network slicing technology with its Network-as-Code platform and developer portal to enable the delivery of high-definition video streams to remotely located captains, allowing them to manoeuvre vessels through busy areas.

Real-time data was made available through ultra-low latency network capabilities and Nokia’s “zero-touch automation” offering, increasing the safety and efficiency of maritime operations. 

High-definition cameras and sensors were deployed by imec to allow the network to deliver high-quality video feeds when vessels “approach areas that require increased situational awareness”.

The R&D company also provided edge application middleware “that bridges the gap between the vessel’s real-time requirements and the 5G network”, integrated into Seafar’s shore control centre. 

Nokia added the partnership represents a real-life implementation of GSMA’s Open Gateway initiative, which promotes the standardisation of APIs for developers to speed up new innovations.