Port Nelson deploys private 5G network with Spark and Ericsson

Port Nelson, on New Zealand’s South Island, has deployed a private 5G network in partnership with Spark New Zealand and Ericsson Enterprise Wireless Solutions.

Port Nelson handles a range of exports and imports, including forestry products, pipfruit, wine, and seafood. Within its warehouses, where palletised bottled wine and empty wine bottles move in and out of the port, forklift operators are required to scan every pallet moved as part of critical inventory and logistics processes.

The high‑density block‑stacking storage used in these warehouses, and the complex design of the broader Port site, had created persistent Wi‑Fi dead spots and forced staff to change operating processes to maintain connectivity.

Covering around 30,000 square metres across three warehouses in Nelson and Blenheim, Spark’s 5G+ Private Network solution uses Ericsson Private 5G to provide a high-availability core at Port Nelson that connects to small cell radios to provide reliable coverage inside the warehouses and across outdoor yard areas.

The Port has also deployed Ericsson Cradlepoint ruggedised R1900 routers for forklift connectivity and tracking. The dual-SIM capability of the routers enables switching between Spark’s public and private 5G networks for when forklifts move outside the initial private 5G coverage areas.

A digital push‑to‑talk communications platform, enabled by Ericsson Private 5G, will aim to help strengthen health and safety outcomes by improving real‑time communications and enabling location‑based alerts to help physically separate people from heavy mobile plant the company said. Future applications include geofence intelligence and broadcast messaging.

“No matter how much we tried to saturate our warehouses with Wi‑Fi, we couldn’t get consistent performance," said Reagan Pattison, general manager of business transformation at Port Nelson.

"That impacted productivity, created frustration for our operators, and limited our ability to modernise how we work.

“Private 5G gives us the ability to prioritise critical communications, improve visibility of what’s happening across the site, and move towards more proactive, engineered safety controls." 

“In a warehousing environment where there are moving vehicles and large volumes of stock moving in and out of the space, reliable connectivity that digital workflows can depend on really matters,” said Ian Ross, head of private networks ANZ at Ericsson Enterprise Wireless Solutions.

“By using Private 5G, Port Nelson now has a dedicated network using the latest cellular wireless capabilities, that can support real‑time operations today while providing a strong foundation for future digital innovation."

“Port Nelson is a great example of how private 5G is unlocking new value for New Zealand businesses operating in complex, production‑critical environments,” said Greg Clark, chief customer officer at Spark.

“Spark’s 5G+ Private Network is designed for organisations that need secure, high‑performance connectivity they can rely on. At Port Nelson, it’s enabling safer warehouse operations today while opening the door to automation, advanced IoT, and smarter ways of working across the entire Port in the future.”

Port Nelson said looking ahead, the warehouse private 5G network has the potential to further transform its operations by enabling advanced applications such as real‑time asset tracking, predictive maintenance, enhanced CCTV cameras, AI‑enabled vision, and automation.