A recent report by Logistics UK found that the sector generates £170 billion a year, employs over 8% of our workforce and is key in helping the government achieve its growth agenda. And as for transport, UK travellers collectively covered 799 billion kilometres in 2023 alone, 8% higher than the previous year, according to government figures.
But in the wake of events like Covid, Brexit and evolving consumer demands and behaviour, these critical industries face more challenges than ever. Rising costs, shrinking margins, the ongoing battle to cut greenhouse gas emissions – all these issues are creating the need for drastic change.
Advanced 5G connectivity – and the digital technologies it underpins – lies at the heart of that positive change. It’s the key to unlocking a more efficient, sustainable future for transport and logistics businesses across the UK. So let’s look at how we get there.
How and where can 5G improve things?
Transport and logistics is one of the most exciting areas for innovation in advanced 5G, with so many opportunities to take advantage of increased bandwidth, reduced latency and higher speeds to improve how things are done.
Here are some of the most interesting use cases we’ve been exploring, both in our own work and in conversations with experts across the industry.
- Connected vehicles. The bandwidth and latency gains from 5G make vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communications possible, connecting vehicles to each other or transport infrastructure. For the former that means advanced collision avoidance technology or the easy sharing of potential hazards, while the latter enables smart traffic lights or dynamic traffic management
- Remote asset monitoring. While self-driving vehicles still need a human ‘driver’ for safety, the low latency and ultra-reliability of 5G means that ‘driver’ can operate multiple vehicles remotely, helping to manage skills gaps and reduce costs. IoT devices can also help monitor the condition of anything from engines to cargo and fuel in real time, allowing businesses to get ahead of any issues and fix them proactively before they cause problems
- Real-time tracking. Advanced 5G allows for a far greater density of sensors across your operations, giving you much more specific detail and insight about your assets or infrastructure. For context, that could be the difference between tracking a shipping container or tracking every single item in the shipping container – it takes all the guesswork out of logistics
- Smart infrastructure. 5G allows for the real-time collection of huge environmental data sets that can help with decision-making, boost efficiency and avoid any budget going to waste. Creating a ‘digital twin’, for example, allows you to simulate entire ports, airports, rail networks or potential changes to a transport network, virtually, without any risk, before you apply it in the real world
What are the benefits to transport and logistics businesses?
We’ve explored some of the specific innovations advanced 5G can enable in transport and logistics businesses.
But when we’re looking at wider business impact, these are some of the most exciting benefits 5G can bring.
- Deeper insights. 5G provides a layer of insight that simply wasn’t possible before. Its higher bandwidth allows for a greater density of sensors, meaning you can collect more and better data. Couple that with machine learning and you’ve got significantly improved insights and analysis, faster
- Improved safety. 5G’s increased bandwidth and reduced latency enables innovations like real-time video monitoring and intelligent control systems. These technologies can help redirect traffic, suggest optimum speeds, prioritise emergency service vehicles and more
- Reduced environmental impact. 5G has many roles to play in reducing CO2 emissions, one of the main ones being the ability to intelligently control traffic, whether that’s ensuring vehicles aren’t held in queues or optimising freight routes to ease congestion and idling
- Better security and resilience. If data is compromised or lost, supply chains can very quickly become disrupted and delayed. 5G network slicing allows you to preserve the passenger experience without jeopardising the quality or safety of the transport service and its workers
See what advanced 5G could do for you
While not everything we’ve discussed in this blog is ready and available to use right now, all of it is possible with the right investment. And as 5G technology matures and innovation continues, we expect to see more of these potential use cases becoming reality in the transport and logistics sector.
We created England’s Connected Heartland (ECH) to help organisations explore and develop new ways to apply advanced 5G in the real world, using our testing environments to do that quickly, effectively and without any risk. Our Bicester to Bletchley 5G Rail Corridor is a great example of this, showing how trackside private 5G could be used to get fast, reliable connectivity on trains – something we can all agree is long overdue.
And so far we’re only scratching the surface of what’s possible. Whether you’re a manufacturer, tech supplier, local authority or freight operator, we encourage you to get in touch and see what advanced 5G could do for you.