CentrePort and Tū Ātea join forces for New Zealand’s first private 5G network

CentrePort is partnering with Māori-owned communications provider Tū Ātea Limited to deploy New Zealand’s first commercial private 5G network, offering ultra-fast and secure connectivity across its Wellington port facilities.

Set to launch in the third quarter of 2025, the network will provide dedicated high-speed connections for port operations, starting with dozens of tablet devices used in vehicles and cranes to manage the 4 million tonnes of freight handled annually. This innovative infrastructure will boost productivity, enhance security, and improve health and safety measures.

The system will utilize CentrePort’s existing light-pole infrastructure for 5G radio transceivers and antennas, all linked via fibre optics to Tū Ātea’s advanced Converged Packet Core, capable of supporting both 4G and 5G technologies. Leveraging 5G network slicing, the solution will create customizable virtual networks tailored to specific use cases, ensuring optimal efficiency and security.

By adopting Tū Ātea’s ‘Network-as-a-Service’ offering, New Zealand’s CentrePort can bypass congestion on public mobile and Wi-Fi networks, further enhancing operational reliability. This initiative complements CentrePort’s broader innovation strategy, which includes renewable energy projects like a battery energy storage system (BESS) and solar array expansion to support resilience and emission reduction goals.

For Tū Ātea, this marks a significant milestone in its partnership with technology leader Mavenir. Since it acquired Tū Ātea Network Services in 2023, the company has grown to employ around 120 staff, including an increasing number of Māori engineers. With this project, Tū Ātea cements its position as a leader in the private 5G network market.

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