Hamburg Terminal Adds 5G Network to Support Automated Cargo Operations

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

A dedicated 5G campus network has gone into operation at HHLA’s Container Terminal Altenwerder in Hamburg, giving one of Europe’s most automated container terminals a stronger digital backbone for real-time operations.

The network has been serving more than one square kilometre of terminal area since the end of May 2026. It was delivered with Deutsche Telekom and Ericsson under the PROCON-5G project, which supports digital testing grounds in German ports.

For a highly automated terminal, wireless communication is not just a convenience. It is closer to the nervous system of the operation. Vehicles, sensors, mobile devices and IT systems all need to speak to each other quickly and reliably. When that communication slows down, the terminal feels it.

The 5G campus network was designed for the specific requirements of Container Terminal Altenwerder, known as CTA. Unlike a public mobile network, the system operates independently within locally allocated spectrum.

That distinction matters. A terminal handling automated processes cannot rely on the same type of wireless environment used by commuters checking messages on a train. It needs stable performance even when many systems are running at once.

The network is based on Ericsson’s Private 5G Campus solution and is intended to support logistics processes, real-time applications and future digital trials across the terminal.

Michael Albers, HHLA Project Manager, said the network gives CTA “a high-performance and stable wireless infrastructure” for testing and operating new applications under realistic conditions. He added that it allows HHLA and partners to develop and trial solutions directly at the terminal.

The project also gives Hamburg a live digital testing ground for port innovation. That means new applications can be tested in a working terminal environment rather than in a laboratory setting.

For ports, that is an important difference. A system that works in a clean test room still has to prove itself among moving equipment, steel boxes, weather, shift patterns and time pressure.

Klaus Werner, Director Business Customers at Telekom Deutschland, said the CTA network shows how mobile communications can make complex port logistics “more efficient, transparent and flexible”.

The project was supported by several partners beyond Telekom and Ericsson. Zentrum für Digitale Entwicklung GmbH supported radio network planning and the tender process. Lufthansa Industry Solutions handled project management responsibilities, while Hamburg Port Consulting managed funding management.

PROCON-5G is part of Germany’s “Digitale Testfelder in Häfen” funding scheme. The programme is an initiative of the German Federal Ministry of Transport to support digital infrastructure for testing innovative technologies in ports. TÜV Rheinland is the project sponsor.