The IT Pro Podcast: The power of smart ports
For a healthier supply chain, businesses need greater data insight

Facing the triple threat of supply issues, tough economic headwinds, and the climate crisis it’s vital that the supply chain can run at low cost, and with as little carbon footprint as possible. Implementation of smart ports using the internet of things and 5G could hold the answer.
Using fast local networks, smart port tech can track crane movement, metrics such as operational speed and maintenance needs, and the location of resources in near real-time to provide valuable operational data. This week, we’re joined by Andrew Quinton, Senior Manager/Principal Architect of 5G solutions at BT to discuss all things smart ports and expand on the benefits already demonstrated in active port environments.
Highlights
“They're all independent islands and silos operating within a port environment. So it can feel, with these different organisations and different agencies, quite disjointed at times from a technology perspective.”
“It's also important to note as well, that no two ports are the same. And there isn't a one-size-fits-all solution for ports. We've seen that, you know, automating container ports, with sensors and crane management, that's a very different proposition to cruise ship terminals and ferry terminals, where perhaps you need more high speed Wi-Fi, and public cellular connectivity for video calls and general consumer conversations.”
“So the sensors themselves are fairly flexible, whether you're using them for inventory management or asset tracking, or just things like asset geofencing, and where is it? Where is it in your location? The sensors themselves are fairly standard, common items, but it’s only when you start to understand an actual customer, an actual port environment, and what’s important to them, do you really start to tailor a solution.”
Read the full transcript here.
Footnotes
- What is the Internet of Things (IoT)?
- BT and ABP's Port of Ipswich trial IoT solution to digitise port operations
- UK’s largest port to deploy 5G and IoT tech
- BT to invest almost £100 million in innovative 5G and edge business use cases
- How to use IoT to meet sustainability goals
- How AI can help – and hinder – the supply chain crisis
- Mapping an entire country: Meet Singapore’s digital twin
- Port of Southampton becomes Verizon's first private 5G customer in Europe
- The UK's IoT proposals are riddled with ‘astonishing’ gaps
- IoT security market to hit $59 billion by 2029
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