Nokia has obtained a contract from Danish shipping Maersk to deploy private wireless network solutions across 450 vessels in its fleet.
This initiative is part of Maersk’s OneWireless IoT connectivity platform, which aims to deliver benefits to its customers such as real-time cargo tracking, improved visibility in the supply chain, and enhanced operational efficiency.
The deployment process is currently in progress and is anticipated to be finalized by the first quarter of 2026.
The logistics and maritime sectors face complex and dynamic challenges that necessitate a technology for real-time asset tracking, according to Nokia.
By adopting Nokia’s private wireless technology, Maersk aims to address the limitations of its existing infrastructure on both owned and chartered vessels, enabling better scalability and future-ready connectivity.
Maersk vessel and cargo connectivity head Kjeld Dittmann said: “With our next-generation connectivity platform, we will be able to offer our customers notable benefits, including real-time cargo tracking, enhanced supply chain visibility, and improved operational efficiency.”
Nokia’s unified mobile network, which is powered by its radio portfolio, is designed to accommodate a wide range of IoT devices and facilitate secure interoperability between private and public networks.
This capability is crucial for ensuring that Maersk’s customers can “reliably” monitor cargo conditions at sea, in ports, and on land, particularly for sensitive items such as fruits and perishables that require specific temperature and humidity controls.
The solution incorporates Nokia’s small cells portfolio, featuring Nokia Shikra Remote Radio Heads (RRH) and Tuuli 6 compact baseband, along with custom antennas.
Each vessel will be equipped with a small core connected to the radio, utilizing satellite communication for backhaul.
Furthermore, Nokia’s MantaRay NM intelligent network management system will be deployed at Maersk’s operations center to provide a comprehensive view of the network for “optimal” monitoring and management.
Nokia Mobile Networks president Tommi Uitto said: “Nokia’s technology leadership in private wireless goes far beyond just connectivity, as demonstrated by this major new contract with Maersk.”
In 2021, Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha (K Line) selected Nokia to deliver a 4G/LTE Field Area Network (FAN) for its LNG-fueled car carrier, Century Highway Green.