Splash247: Ericsson and 2degrees deliver private 5G at New Zealand port

Lyttelton Port Company (LPC) has gone live with a private 5G network delivered by Ericsson and implemented on site by local firm 2degrees, aimed at strengthening resilience, safety and digital operations across New Zealand’s largest South Island port.

The deployment supports mobile asset tracking, tele-remote control of heavy machinery, job dispatching, safety alarms and high‑quality camera streaming, with rugged Ericsson Cradlepoint routers on straddle carriers using private 5G as primary connectivity and 2degrees’ public network as seamless backup.

LPC handled 434,000 teu last year and faces coverage challenges from volcanic rock and stacked containers; the private 5G reaches areas where wificannot and where fibre is slow or impractical. The port plans to expand use cases to environmental sensors for wind and stormwater monitoring and drone inspections that feed AI tools for container, crane and pavement checks.

“LPC introduced private 5G to make operations safer, more reliable, and better connected. We needed stronger network performance across the port so our teams and equipment could work without interruption,” said Jackie Dawson, LPC chief information officer.