Zeebrugge will have its own private 5G network this year, the port disclosed in a press release on Wednesday.
The port’s management will collaborate with Citymesh, which is the only operator to have a license for 5G networks in Flanders and Brussels.
Citymesh began its activities as a provider of wi-fi networks for cities. To improve its service, it bought a 10-year license for part of the radio spectrum in 2015. At the time, major players like Proximus, Telenet and Orange had no interest in this 3.5 GHZ band. Two years later, Europe decided to choose the same frequency for 5G, the ultra-fast successor of 4G.
Citymesh can thus offer 5G networks at the local level even if the auctioning of the new 5G spectrum is currently blocked at the political level.
“5G is the key technology that will bring about a global revolution, particularly in industry,” the port’s management said, explaining that the private 5G network “will speed up innovation in and around the port of Zeebrugge” and “strengthen the port’s competitive position.”
All data will remain within the port network, free of external influences. In a first phase, the network will primarily provide Zeebrugge’s tugboats, barges, cameras and receivers with connectivity.
There will also be reliable connectivity for the new sea sluice.
The Brussels Times
