Small Cell Forum paper on smart ports and how to build them
5G will be here schooner or later but 4G/LTE buoyed by long-term future
Hybrid solutions of fixed line, small cells, wireless, satellite and fibre optics the way forward
Mix of private and public networks also likely and who does what may depend on pier pressure
A new report from the Small Cell Forum (SCF), the industry organisation championing network densification worldwide by accelerating the deployment of small cell technology, makes the point that whilst 5G will have a massive future role to play in seaports across the whole world, the many 4G/LTE private networks already in place will still retain utility and value when 5G finally makes it to the wharf edge and beyond. Furthermore, current commercial deployments based on 4G technologies and the many private 4G/LTE solutions available today will migrate seamlessly to private 5G networks in due course.