Thames Freeport Goes Smart: Verizon and Nokia Launch Landmark Private 5G Port Network
Verizon Business, Nokia, and Thames Freeport have announced a strategic partnership to deploy Verizon Private 5G Networks across multiple logistics, manufacturing, and innovation hubs along the River Thames Estuary. private 5G port deployment
The rollout marks one of the largest private 5G deployments in a European port and will serve as the backbone for a multi-year, multi-billion-pound transformation aimed at revitalizing the region’s maritime economy.
The initiative targets key Freeport sites, including
- DP World London Gateway and Logistics Park (the UK’s largest integrated deep-sea container port)
- Port of Tilbury (a major mixed-use hub operated by Forth Ports)
- Ford Dagenham (the largest manufacturing site in London)
Powered by Nokia’s Digital Automation Cloud (DAC) and MX Industrial Edge (MXIE) platforms, the networks will enable advanced capabilities such as AI analytics, predictive maintenance, autonomous vehicle operations, and real-time logistics orchestration.
David de Lancellotti, VP of Enterprise Campus Edge Sales at Nokia, said:
“This is one of the largest commercial private 5G rollouts in a European port. Together with Verizon Business, we’re enabling the infrastructure that will help Thames Freeport drive new efficiencies, sustainable growth, and long-term economic opportunity for the region.”
Martin Whiteley, CEO of Thames Freeport, stated:
“A flexible, high-performance connectivity platform is critical to our long-term vision. Our investment in private 5G is not an incremental network upgrade — it’s the backbone of a technological transformation.”
Jennifer Artley, SVP of 5G Acceleration at Verizon Business, added:
“We’re not just driving operational improvements to help a partner stay ahead of the curve; we’re laying the groundwork for new revenue streams, community development, and further commercial and technological investment.”
In March, Carrix partnered with Nokia to introduce Nokia DAC, a private wireless solution to help enhance the company’s operations at several leading marine terminals in the US.
Final thoughts about private 5G port deployment
The Thames Freeport 5G initiative—spearheaded by Verizon Business, Nokia, and Thames Freeport—signals more than just a high-profile infrastructure upgrade. It’s a strategic blueprint for what the future of industrial and maritime digitization could look like, not just in the UK but globally. Drawing parallels with other large-scale deployments, such as Nokia’s collaboration with Carrix in the U.S., this project reflects a growing consensus among global port operators: that private 5G is no longer a luxury—it’s a necessity for resilience, automation, and competitive advantage.
Whereas Carrix’s deployment across American marine terminals aims to modernize existing processes, the Thames Freeport initiative is arguably more ambitious. It anchors the entire economic regeneration of the Thames Estuary on digital infrastructure. By integrating private 5G at multiple Freeport nodes—each with distinct operational focuses—the consortium isn’t just upgrading connectivity; they’re creating a unified, data-rich ecosystem capable of end-to-end orchestration and innovation at scale.
What sets this initiative apart is its convergence of players. Verizon brings deep expertise in network deployment and enterprise integration. Nokia contributes the flexible, edge-ready platforms (DAC and MXIE) that have already proven effective in industrial settings. And Thames Freeport provides the physical and economic context—a cluster of sites with strong logistics, manufacturing, and innovation potential. Together, this triad is echoing a pattern we’ve seen in forward-thinking ecosystems like the Port of Hamburg (5G testbed with Deutsche Telekom) and the Port of Antwerp (private 5G with Ericsson): a public-private alignment with long-term regional competitiveness in mind.
In short, this isn’t just a digital transformation story—it’s a case study in next-gen industrial strategy. Ports and free zones that fail to invest in similar infrastructure risk being left behind in a world where AI-driven logistics, automation, and data transparency are fast becoming non-negotiable. Thames Freeport is planting its flag early, and others will likely follow.
