Orange said that the deployment of this 5G virtual private network will require a total investment of $4.04 million

Spanish operator Orange has developed a 5G Standalone (SA) virtual private network for the port of Barcelona, with the aim of offering advanced mobility service to the entire port area and its users, the telco said in a release.

The Spanish carrier said that the deployment of this 5G virtual private network will require a total investment of 3.6 million euros ($4.04 million) over the next five years. Orange noted that the project required the addition of 5G SA architecture to existing network infrastructure at the port.  

The private network will provide ultra-low latency that allows operations that require great precision, such as driving cranes or other machinery.

The new infrastructure will also provide the necessary capacity and scalability for the massive connection of sensors and devices, facilitating the real-time location of ships, merchandise and other assets, as well as offering voice and data services for companies and port users, according to Orange.

“The development of this extremely modern telecommunications network enables us to have competitive advantages over other European ports, opening up new possibilities and allowing a wide range of use cases in the fields of emergency communications, video transmission in high quality and real time and the improvement and optimization of port operations,” said Lluís Salvadó, president of the Port of Barcelona.

Joaquín Colino, Orange’s B2B general manager, said: “We are the first operator in Spain to launch a 5G SA commercial network and this project is an excellent example of the new and advanced services that this network can provide in business and industry environments.”

In February, the Spanish carrier launched its 5G SA network in Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia and Seville. At the time of the launch, Orange noted that the coverage of 5G SA in these initial cities exceeded 90%.

According to the company’s website, new cities covered by 5G SA include Bilbao, Alicante, Sabadell, Hospitalet, Castellón, Valladolid, Alcorcón, Leganés, Palma, Zaragoza, Las Palmas, Tenerife, Badalona, Sant Adrià de Besòs and Santa Coloma de Gramanet.

Orange said its 5G SA network was expected to cover nearly 30% of the Spanish population by the end of the first half of the year.

Orange also said that Ericsson, Nokia and Oracle Communications were the main providers of its 5G SA network.

The company previously said its overall 5G network reached a coverage of 80% of the Spanish population as of the end of March. The telco ended the first quarter of the year with a total of 1.94 million subscribers in the 5G segment, after a net addition of 258,000 during the period.

The Spanish carrier is currently offering 5G services through frequencies in the 3.5 GHz and 700 MHz bands.