Brussels Airport innovates with Private 5G Network

As one of the first sites in Belgium with 5G technology, the airport is able to speed up its operational efficiency and support further technological innovation.
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“Brussels Airport confirms its pioneering position in digital innovation by installing its own 5G-ready network as one of the first sites in Belgium and as one of the first airports in Europe. In addition to allowing further optimisation of the airport’s operations, the 5G technology will also enable us to accelerate digital innovations and facilitate the integration of future technologies”, says Arnaud Feist, CEO of Brussels Airport Company.

A private 5G-ready network offers a more efficient, more reliable and faster connectivity than WiFi or public 4G across the airport grounds. Thanks to the higher capacity of 5G, the airport will be able to deploy additional technologies, such as IoT (Internet of Things), automated vehicles, mobile safety systems or track & trace technology. This increases the operational efficiency and at the same time the reliability of the systems at Brussels Airport.

Brussels Airport Company is entering into a strategic partnership with technology partner Nokia of Finland and the Belgian operator Citymesh for the development of the 5G-ready network. In a first phase, 5G will be used to provide connectivity outside on the airport grounds, later on, 5G is installed indoors. Various technologies and applications will be tested both inside and outside to see if they are useful at the airport.

“Brussels Airport selecting Nokia Digital Automation Cloud platform to build industrial-grade private wireless, powering digital transformation with 4.9/LTE now and 5G next to create its vision of the future, is a great endorsement,” said Stephan Litjens, General Manager, Nokia Digital Automation. “Automation of airports is essential for increased efficiency, reliability and enhanced operational awareness as airports transform their business models”.

“The value of the network will bring to Brussels Airport clearly showcases the importance of private deployments. We are excited to support them in a variety of real-life use cases which were impossible to achieve with WiFi or on the public networks”, said Mitch De Geest, CEO Citymesh. “Together with Brussels Airport, we are pushing towards new frontiers which will allow industries all over Belgium to create a competitive edge by tapping into private mobile connectivity scenarios.”

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