Potential use of 5G for innovative business models for the port, marine and salmon industries with network slicing

That is why, in this post, we will demonstrate with a video filmed in the Chilean Patagonia, how 5G network segmentation, also known as network slicing, enables various applications to be more efficient, traceable, and secure in the ecosystem of companies related to the production, transportation and exporting of salmon in Chile.

5G mindset and enabling technology

5G offers a range of new technological capabilities that enable customization of the network to suit the needs of users or businesses. This customization is known as network slicing, which means that different logical networks can be separated within the same 5G network, while still sharing radio, transport, and processing infrastructure. Each logical segmentation serves a defined business purpose and includes all necessary capabilities, configured, and connected end-to-end, to enable innovative services.

5G requires collaborative innovation in the business ecosystem among various companies, including CSPs, application developers, device manufacturers, service providers and technology providers among others.

Before 5G, all devices and applications had to compete for the same network resources. However, with 5G standalone, it is now possible to prioritize different qualities of service for each device. For example, in the same mobile phone, you can have a movie application with a network that prioritizes download bandwidth and an augmented reality application with a network that grants upload bandwidth and low latency processing in the edge.

All this customization that 5G enables will facilitate, enrich and innovate business applications and services that can request network capabilities exposed by APIs (Application Programming Interfaces). These capabilities will allow CSPs to personalize the experience of the user. Some 5G capabilities can be applied to extend the battery duration from days to months in internet of things (IoT) devices, facilitate instant teleoperation through edge processing, and enable other technologies.

Learn more about network slicing

Potential 5G applications in the port, marine, and salmon sectors with network slicing

As Chile is the second largest exporter of salmon worldwide, a team of professionals from Ericsson and Entel, decided to demonstrate in a video the benefits of 5G throughout the chain of production, transportation and exporting of Chilean salmon.

Puerto Montt, a crucial hub for the production and export of salmon and trout, has recently deployed 5G, providing faster and more reliable connectivity to the port. This important port that connects the archipelagos, estuaries, and mainland is operated by EMPORMONTT.

Edmundo Silva, Gerente General Chief Executive Officer, EMPORMONTT Empresa Portuaria Puerto Montt

“As we have a distance of 400 km between our points, digitalization in high-speed communication is essential for the ports and connectivity of vehicle and passenger ramps. EMPORMONTT plays an important economic, industrial, and social role in the region, having transported over 7 million trips to the remote communities of the area,” Edmundo Silva, General Manager of EMPORMONTT said.

The port serves as a connection between various companies, individuals, and communities with distinct technological needs. 5G standalone brings in the capability to tailor the network according to the needs of these companies and individuals. By using network slicing, a technology that is enabled by 5G, it is possible to customize the network by creating a slice from the radio antennas, processing layer in the core, and data transporting route.

Marco Ortega, Gerente de Operaciones Chief Operating Officer, EMPORMONTT Empresa Portuaria Puerto Montt

"It is extremely important and essential to have the interoperability of the systems, to be able to take control of the loads, logistics, control and access of vehicles, and ensure the safety of people and passengers within the port area," Marco Ortega, Operations Manager of EMPORMONTT said.

EMPORMONTT team with Cradlepoint routers and Ericsson 5G/4G indoor antennas, from left to right: Cesar Robles (IT Manager, EMPORMONTT), Marco Ortega (Operations Manager, EMPORMONTT), Alejandro Gonzalez (Administration and Finance Manager, EMPORMONTT), Roberto Cabanillas Acerbi (Director Cloud Software & Services, Ericsson Chile).

5G has the potential to improve cellular coverage in isolated areas and subsoils, enabling the supervision and control of IoT devices through 5G and LTE-Advanced. One such example of improved coverage is the implementation of luminaire panels that can be controlled and monitored remotely thanks to narrowband IoT (NB-IoT) cellular technology that reaches underground areas. This technology allows preventive detection of lighting systems failures in ports, gateways, and cities, allowing technicians to fix lighting failures through cellular technologies.

Another benefit of 5G is the improvement of port security by facilitating cargo reporting and tracking to prevent criminal activity through connected devices and applications. 

Many fleets in Chile are now installing LTE-Advanced and 5G-enabled trackers in their trucks and trailers. These trackers, equipped with CAT-M1 technology, facilitate reliable coverage in hard-to-reach areas such as tunnels, sheds and even underground.

The video shows trackers equipped with CAT-M1 technology on salmon trucks transporting fish from the lakes to the port to be shipped to farms at sea.

A lack of coverage generally leads to the theft of trucks in warehouses or tunnels. The new CAT-M1 technology provides coverage in these indoor or underground areas, allowing full traceability and monitoring of the operation indicators of trucks, trailers and machinery.
Generally, ports use rented machinery. With these tracker devices installed and transmitted by CAT-M1, it is feasible to monitor how many hours a machine has been used, facilitate the charging of the machinery and allow the scheduling of their maintenance.

Jean Philippe Brunet, Gerente General, Chief Executive Officer, PROMAQUINARIA Chile

Jean Philippe Brunet, the General Manager of Promaquinaria, explained the difficulties involved in keeping track of the operation and maintenance of numerous machines that are distributed across different locations along the aquaculture production chain, "These forklifts are equipped with CAT-M1 trackers, primarily to know their location, use hours and equipment status."

Not only are advanced tracking capabilities, enabled by CAT-M1 and NB-IoT, used in forklifts and vehicle fleets but also when needing to supervise specialized personnel as well as assets such as containers, pallets, refrigerated medicine and tools that are necessary throughout the process of farming and exporting salmon and trout.

Another advantage of CAT-M1 and NB-IoT technologies is the low power consumption. The video shows CAT-M1-enabled trackers, renowned for their long-lasting battery life that extends over multiple years. These trackers are used by guards, customs personnel and sailors to prevent and detect incidents and risks in ports and salmon farm areas. The farming centers, are floating platforms at sea that have specialized personnel operating machines for feeding salmon, equipped with video cameras, sensors, food silos, generators, and feeders that can be controlled by programmable electronic controllers (PLC).

Currently, the machinery in salmon farms are connected with cables; however, they could be controlled wirelessly with the deployment of new 5G and 4G technologies in production areas. PLCs equipped with SIM cards and antennas are now utilizing CAT-M1 technology, enabling remote control and monitoring of various industrial machinery.

As 5G technology expands into the fjords and estuaries of southern Chile, the teleoperation of floating farm platforms helps personnel avoid exposure to adverse sea and climatic conditions.

The Development and Automation Manager at SITECNA shipyard, Rodrigo Solís, one of the largest manufacturers of naval farms in Chile, discussed the advantages of connecting pontoons through 5G technology: “We can use real-time data from our salmon farm pontoons, even those located hundreds of kilometers away, and our mainland administrative mainland office to supervise and process records quickly and make timely decisions.”

Different industries require different network capabilities, whether it is high coverage, bandwidth, or remote work abilities. Ericsson's 5G technology enables CSPs to customize their networks to meet specific demands, such as geographic and industrial areas with different segmentations, through network slicing. This means that a single network can cater to various needs simultaneously, making it a highly versatile solution.

An example of different needs in the same company can be seen in the use of various technologies in the cold storage of processed salmon by SAKE Chile refrigerator. SAKE has automated its distribution center with pallet handling systems, robotic forklifts, traceability scanners, video surveillance systems and thermal sensors.

"With the use of 5G, we see potential regarding the teleoperation of automated systems. Today, the operator is overseeing the entire operation of the stacker cranes, and we could potentially have that operator in another remote location or maybe even in their home." Rodrigo Lazo, General Manager of SAKE Chile refrigerator, said.

Teleoperating distribution centers are now possible thanks to 5G’s low latency, enabling instantaneous and reliable operations. By linking the distribution center and remote operator through 5G wireless routers or fiber optics, an operator can teleoperate machinery with ease and efficiency, thanks to the prioritization of data in a dedicated 5G network segment.

The safety of workers in refrigeration environments is fundamental to ensure their health and well-being. Rodrigo Lazo, General Manager of SAKE refrigerator, has highlighted another use of 5G technology with 360° cameras on the neck of operators while they work inside cold rooms set at -20°C.

The high transmission capacity of 5G was reviewed with a 360° neck camera that transmits first-person view video by utilizing four 360° cameras. With this technology, workers wearing the neck cameras can be monitored by a remote center, ensuring their safety and well-being while working in extremely low temperatures.

 

5G-enabled 360° cameras also helped ensure the safety of security guards at the port, who were able to detect possible dangers — even behind their backs.

Another benefit of teleoperation and remote monitoring is the facilitation of a more inclusive environment for people with disabilities.

Before 5G, some companies opted to invest in installing a private 4G or 5G network. With the introduction of 5G standalone, companies can now lease a slice of a private network that comes with dedicated processing power, while still utilizing the current public 5G coverage that is already available in ports and fjords. This presents a significant technological advantage, allowing businesses to implement new processes that benefit from real-time information, traceability, security, automation and other benefits.

The 5G coverage developed by Entel and powered by Ericsson enables high download and upload speeds In Calbuco Island, 418 Mbps download and 240 Mbps upload speeds were recorded.

It is important to note that in the past, connecting video surveillance cameras in fjord areas required hiring point-to-point microwave links, cabling, or high-cost optical fibers that were difficult to install and maintain. However, with the progressive deployment of 5G in Patagonia, companies can now easily contract monthly 5G dedicated networks with a CSP. These dedicated 5G networks also have a lower cost when compared to private networks.

Julián San Martín, VP Negocios Digitales Corporativo, VP Digital Business B2B, ENTEL S.A.

“Entel, as an enabler of services and as a creator of value in 5G, provides technologies for the development of digital solutions. These solutions connect territories and operations such as ports, fjords, and aquaculture production areas, solving the most relevant digital transformation challenges for the industry. These solutions are achieved thanks to expert talent, technological capabilities, and the creation of a complete ecosystem of partners. " Julián San Martín, Vice President of ENTEL Digital, said.

With 5G, it is possible to equip work vehicles on land and at sea with routers that can effectively manage and control access to essential work applications required by workers.

Cradlepoint, which was acquired by Ericsson, is a leading provider of 5G enterprise connectivity routers. Their 4G/5G routers have been installed in vans, trucks, ships, mobile and remote offices, personnel transport buses, security vehicles, ambulances, fire and rescue vehicles, mobile video surveillance towers, helicopters and low-altitude aircraft in various countries.

Alvaro Asenjo, Senior Coordinator at Entel in the Puerto Montt zone and Osorno, and Roberto Cabanillas of Ericsson tested the Cradlepoint 4G/5G router with Wi-Fi 6 coverage in a vehicle and nearby areas

Directional and omnidirectional antennas connected to Cradlepoint 5G routers were installed on the roofs of Entel and Ericsson work vehicles, enabling the measurement of speed in rural areas.

Enzo Zunino, President, Ericsson Chile

"In Chile, 5G networks are in full deployment, and as we have always said at Ericsson, we believe it is a powerful platform for innovation and the development of use cases. The way that 5G technology has become widespread and the way 5G is manifested in new applications, allows for more productive processes, and safer work environments for workers." Enzo Zunino, President, Ericsson Chile, said.

Antonio Moreno Cano, Head of Digital Solutions, Entel Digital

Antonio Moreno Cano, Head of Digital Solutions at Entel Digital, talked about the benefits of 5G network slicing: ”5G network slicing allows us to configure the network for critical use cases, which are needed to guarantee network parameters, such as teleoperation. For example, when connecting cranes, it is essential to ensure low latency and that the operation equipment is adequate for teleoperation. Another use case is related to computer vision, where low latency is critical and detection has to be practically in real time.”

For more details, watch the interview of Antonio Moreno Cano, Head of Digital Solutions at Entel.

Facundo Fernandez Begni, Customer Marketing Manager, Customer Unit Latin America South of Ericsson, said, "This video is a great opportunity to showcase the potential of 5G in strategic sectors of the Chilean economy, such as the port, marine, and salmon industries as it improves productivity and competitiveness. It captures excellent use cases enabled by 5G technology, which have required collaborative work that has been the result of collaborative efforts with our strategic partner Entel, and the 5G partner ecosystem. This documentary video serves as proof that new 5G mobile technologies enable innovative services and applications that benefit everyone involved. "

Entel and Ericsson make the unimaginable possible.