Kalmar and Ukkoverkot have signed a two-year cooperation agreement with Nokia to design, build and operate a private LTE network. This digital environment will be available for terminals that want to innovate their operations. LTE stands for Long Term Evolution, a digital solution that is considered more reliable and enabling more secure communication than Wi-Fi.

Kalmar is part of Cargotec, a provider of terminal solutions while Ukkoverkot is a private LTE network provider. Nokia brings the digital automation platform, suitable for mobile machinery and industrial Internet of Things.

Test terminal

A test network reflecting an actual terminal environment will be built for research and development purposes. Machine-to-machine communication will be tested in the new private 4G/LTE environment and compared against previous wireless technologies with the focus on developing innovative business applications.

LTE provides the low latency, high-capacity connectivity combined with edge computing required for time-sensitive critical industrial applications enabling real-time analytics and video-based applications such as machine remote control – key elements of robust digital industrial environments.

Terminal communication

“We believe the new 5G-ready LTE solution will be an asset to our business, and we look forward to initiating testing in this digital automation environment. The private LTE network will provide the security and real-time video footage needed for reliable remote control of our operations”, says Pekka Yli-Paunu, director of research at Kalmar.

The Nokia-built network will allow for machinery to be connected over reliable private local LTE or 5G networks, enabling automation, robotics, machine learning, analytics, and real-time remote monitoring. “Communication is essential for business efficiency and safety in cargo handling, be it between machines or machines and people. We are pleased to collaborate allowing companies to seize the Industry 4.0 opportunity”, says Stephan Litjens, general manager of Nokia Digital Automation.