Singapore to develop 5G mobile network in maritime domain

During the International Safety@Sea Week, organized by MPA Singapore from 29 August to 2 September 2022, Chee Hong Tat, Singapore’s Senior Minister of State for Transport and Finance, announced that MPA Singapore and the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) signed an MOU in mid-August 2022 to develop 5G mobile network capabilities in the maritime domain to enhance digital connectivity in the Port of Singapore.

Full maritime 5G coverage in Singapore’s major anchorages, fairways, terminals, and boarding grounds is scheduled to be delivered by mid-2025 and has the potential to unlock a full suite of maritime solutions leveraging complementary technologies such as artificial intelligence, internet-of-things, big data, drones and autonomous vehicles, to improve safety, effectiveness and efficiencies in maritime operations.

Quah Ley Hoon, Chief Executive, Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore said on the occasion:

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MPA is taking the lead to help build a robust digital maritime ecosystem for Maritime Singapore, with fast, secure and high capacity 5G connectivity as one of the cornerstones to support real-time data exchanges in the maritime domain. Maritime 5G will enable our global hub port and International Maritime Centre to remain at the forefront of the competition

MPA’s incident response management and safety enforcement capabilities across the full spectrum of operations will also be further strengthened through the development of the Integrated Port Operations C3 (Command, Control and Communications) system (IPOC system).

The system is developed in collaboration with the Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA) and will enhance situational awareness and improve the efficiency and effectiveness of incident responses.

The IPOC system will be progressively phased in from 2023 till 2026 as MPA upgrades its systems to serve our busy port waters.

A key capability that will be developed as part of phase 2 of digitalPORT@SGTM is the Active Anchorage Management System (AAMS). The AAMS taps on various data sources to optimise allocation of limited anchorage space for vessels.

This ensures that the vessel is anchored safely taking into consideration various conditions including the wind, tide, depth and proximity to hazards and is scheduled to be launched in 3Q2023.

5G has been a buzzword in the last two years and the shipping industry is unlikely to stay unaffected. Earlier in 2022, MPA Singapore revealed plans to implement 5G to improve vessel movement and enhance traffic management in its busy port waters. Hutchison Ports Sohar in the Middle East, the UK Ports of Southampton and Felixstowe, the Italian Port of Livorno, the Spanish Port of Barcelona, and the Belgian Port of Antwerp are only a few ports that have trialed or implemented the 5G option in the last two years, in a bid to enhance their operations.