Verizon Business, Thames Freeport and Nokia have announced a strategic partnership to deploy Verizon Private 5G Networks across multiple key logistics, manufacturing, and innovation sites along the River Thames Estuary in the United Kingdom. The Verizon Private 5G Networks will serve as the technology foundation for a multiyear, multibillion dollar operational transformation and economic revival for the region, one of the busiest maritime logistics hubs in the United Kingdom.
The Private 5G Networks buildout provides a scalable, long-term connectivity foundation for advanced data, AI, edge compute, and IoT infrastructure deployments aimed at transforming port and manufacturing operations.
The technological enhancements will play a direct role in boosting the local economy, underpinning job training and reskilling efforts as part of employment initiatives and supporting innovation and research & development collaborations among Freeport tenants and outside corporate, government, and research entities. Thames Freeport has already created 1,400 jobs and plans to reach 5,000 by 2030, with a focus on high-skilled training for local communities.
Private 5G Deployments at Thames Freeport
The Verizon Private 5G Networks will enable advanced data and application capabilities for AI-driven data analytics, predictive maintenance, process automation, autonomous vehicle control, safety monitoring, and real-time logistics orchestration. Nokia is the sole hardware and software provider for the networks, which will incorporate the Nokia Digital Automation Cloud (DAC) platform and Nokia MX Industrial Edge (MXIE). The Verizon Private 5G Networks will be deployed to the following:
- DP World London Gateway and DP World Logistics Park, the UK’s largest and most integrated deep-sea container port and logistics facility, with port capacity to handle over 3 million units per year. The hub includes a rail terminal with 20 daily services and a 9.25 million square foot high-tech logistics center.
- Port of Tilbury, the largest of the mixed-use Thames Freeport ports. Tilbury handles 16 million tonnes of cargo per year across 31 independent working terminals. Operated by Forth Ports, the sites comprise a crucial logistics hub for the construction, automotive and food & drink sectors.
- Ford Dagenham, the largest manufacturing site in London, this unique location gives access to regional manufacturing clusters, proximity to suppliers, and brings key production closer to the end market.
“Our partnership with Thames Freeport and Nokia shows the full promise of private 5G at scale. Thames Freeport is developing one of the most technologically advanced commercial corridors in Europe to enable forward innovation and economic revitalization for an entire community,” said Jennifer Artley, SVP, 5G Acceleration at Verizon Business. “We’re not just driving operational improvements to help a partner stay ahead of the curve; we’re laying the groundwork for new revenue streams, community development, and further commercial and technological investment.”
“Private wireless and industrial edge are the foundations for the digital transformation of industrial sites, and the Thames Freeport deployment is a landmark example of this evolution at scale,” said David de Lancellotti, VP of Enterprise Campus Edge Sales at Nokia.
“This is one of the largest commercial private 5G rollouts in a European port incorporating the Nokia DAC platform. This network will allow Thames Freeport to overlay advanced use cases such as AI-driven data analytics, predictive maintenance, process automation, autonomous vehicle control, safety monitoring, and real-time logistics orchestration.
