Juwai: 5G vital for local ports’ growth, modernisation
10 Jan 2022
The fifth-generation (5G) network is critical for the success of Malaysian ports operations as it enables port operators to track ships and to make accurate predictions about arrival times, reducing the disruptions from potential delays.
“5G can enable many improvements within Malaysia’s ports. On a 4G network, a terminal can monitor about 100,000 sensors and Internet of Things (IoTs), devices within a square kilometer. A 5G network raises the potential number of connections to one million,” Juwai IQI Group co-founder and chief executive officer Kashif Ansari said in a statement.
He also said that loading and transshipping can be streamlined to a just-in-time operations, with optical character recognition cameras facilitating this change.
“They can identify and process individual containers from among the thousands the ports handle every day.
“The brains of the port will be automated and so will the brawn. The vessels and vehicles that move cargo to, within and from ports are all on their way to being automated,” he added.
He also emphasised that the 2021 global supply chain disruptions were a wake-up call to policymakers and port operators in trade-dependent nations like Malaysia.
Kashif said that if Malaysian ports were able to stay ahead of the automation trend, this would help to attract foreign direct investment into the manufacturing sector.
These investments, in turn, will help drive demand for industrial and logistics space.
“Smart ports will enable greater integration with nearby logistics and manufacturing facilities. Integration promises to reduce the delays that currently exist when moving goods from their point of manufacture to the ships that carry them overseas,” he explained.
Source: Bernama
