PRESS RELEASE

Nokia and Liberty Global partner on Network-as-a-Service technology to develop new maritime use cases at Port of Antwerp #MWC24

• Nokia and Liberty Global conducted successful trial in Port of Antwerp in Belgium that delivered high-definition video stream to remotely-located captains, helping them manoeuvre shipping vessels through busy areas
  
  
• Technology – which is being showcased at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona next week - aligns with GSMA’s Open Gateway framework
  
  

22 February 2024

Espoo, Finland and London, UK – Nokia and Liberty Global, one of the world's leading converged video, broadband and communications companies, have announced a partnership in which Liberty Global’s Belgian subsidiary Telenet utilizes Nokia’s Network as Code platform with developer portal to enhance the operational efficiency and services offered at the Port of Antwerp, one of the world’s largest.

To support the creation of new network use cases for the port, developers use Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) and Software Development Kits (SDKs) – accessed via Nokia’s Network as Code Platform with developer portal – to obtain network functionality and data. This access enables developers to build new applications for use cases that they can sell to their own customers.

In a recent trial at the port, the two companies demonstrated how Liberty Global via Telenet’s 5G standalone network with slicing capabilities can allow remotely-located captains to operate vessels more safely and efficiently, supported by real-time data made available through ultra-low latency network capabilities and zero-touch automation.

The trial – which represents a part of Liberty Global’s Network as a Service program (NaaS) - was conducted with Belgian partners Seafar NV, a shipping entity, and imec, a research and innovation hub for nanoelectronics and digital technologies. The trial used Nokia’s Network as Code Platform with developer portal, in combination with imec’s edge application middleware that bridges the gap between the vessel’s real-time requirements and the 5G network. These were integrated into Seafar’s Shore Control Center to address its need for reliable, high-quality, low-latency connectivity, which existing commercial networks do not provide.

Dynamic geofences using high-definition cameras and sensors onboard vessels, which will be combined with AI and machine learning algorithms in future, were deployed by imec to identify areas where situational awareness is most crucial. As vessels approached areas that require increased situational awareness, network capacity was automatically prioritized to guarantee high-quality live video feeds. This allowed Seafar’s captains to manoeuvre vessels through these areas safely, without having to slow down or wait unproductively during loading and unloading, improving efficiency and reducing fuel consumption. It also enabled them to work across multiple vessels at the same time.

The partnership represents a real-life implementation of the Open Gateway initiative, launched last year by the GSMA, which calls on the industry to standardise APIs for developers to speed up innovation.

The use of NAAS technology helps create an ecosystem which integrates standardised CAMARA APIs on imec’s applications. This allows an effective and reliable use of network resources, which are available on demand, while also avoiding the need to deploy a dedicated and expensive mobile communication infrastructure. By leveraging a 5G standalone network built in the cloud, customers only pay for what they need, while also benefiting from a granular level of control offering maximum flexibility.

Shkumbin Hamiti, Head of Network Monetization Platform, Cloud and Network Services at Nokia said: “I am very pleased that Nokia is expanding the possibilities of bringing simplified network capabilities to developers at the Port of Antwerp that can be translated into new applications for their customers. We look forward to expanding our collaboration with Liberty Global and delivering on our strategic commitment to leverage the broader B2B digitalization ecosystem at the port.”

Madalina Suceveanu, Managing Director Mobile & Cloud Technologies, at Liberty Global said: “This multi-faceted trial simultaneously leverages the power of 5G standalone, cloud, edge computing and AI-driven computer vision applications. 5G-era networks are rich in capabilities that can now drive improvements to customer experiences for both enterprises and consumers in ways that were simply not possible just a few years ago. The framework we have developed in partnership with Nokia will give us the opportunity to access a large untapped market here, plus realize the development of even more use cases in many other sectors beyond shipping.”

Resources and additional information

Web page: Nokia Network as Code

White paper: Driving value from telecoms networks beyond CPaaS

About Liberty Global

Liberty Global (NASDAQ: LBTYA, LBTYB and LBTYK) is a world leader in converged broadband, video and mobile communications services. We deliver next-generation products through advanced fiber and 5G networks, and currently provide over 85 million* connections across Europe and the United Kingdom. Our businesses operate under some of the best-known consumer brands, including Virgin Media-O2 in the United Kingdom, VodafoneZiggo in The Netherlands, Telenet in Belgium, Sunrise in Switzerland, Virgin Media in Ireland and UPC in Slovakia. Through our substantial scale and commitment to innovation, we are building Tomorrow’s Connections Today, investing in the infrastructure and platforms that empower our customers to make the most of the digital revolution, while deploying the advanced technologies that nations and economies need to thrive.

Liberty Global’s consolidated businesses generate annual revenue of more than $7 billion, while the VodafoneZiggo JV and the VMO2 JV generate combined annual revenue of more than $17 billion.**

Liberty Global Ventures, our global investment arm, has a portfolio of more than 75 companies across content, technology and infrastructure, including strategic stakes in companies like ITV, Televisa Univision, Plume, AtlasEdge and the Formula E racing series.

* Represents aggregate consolidated and 50% owned non-consolidated fixed and mobile subscribers. Includes wholesale mobile connections of the VMO2 JV and B2B fixed subscribers of the VodafoneZiggo JV.

** Revenue figures above are provided based on full year 2022 Liberty Global consolidated results (excluding revenue from Poland) and the combined as reported full year 2022 results for the VodafoneZiggo JV and full year 2022 U.S. GAAP results for the VMO2 JV.

Telenet, the VMO2 JV, the VodafoneZiggo JV and Sunrise UPC deliver mobile services as mobile network operators. Virgin Media Ireland delivers mobile services as a mobile virtual network operator through third-party networks.

Liberty Global plc is listed on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbols “LBTYA,” “LBTYB” and “LBTYK.”

For more information, please visit www.libertyglobal.com or contact:

Investor Relations         Corporate Communications

Michael Bishop +44 20 8483 6246         Bill Myers +1 303 220 6686

Michael Khehra +44 78 9005 0979                Matt Beake +44 20 8483 6428

About Nokia

At Nokia, we create technology that helps the world act together.

As a B2B technology innovation leader, we are pioneering networks that sense, think and act by leveraging our work across mobile, fixed and cloud networks. In addition, we create value with intellectual property and long-term research, led by the award-winning Nokia Bell Labs.

Service providers, enterprises and partners worldwide trust Nokia to deliver secure, reliable and sustainable networks today – and work with us to create the digital services and applications of the future.

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About imec 
Imec is a world-leading research and innovation center in nanoelectronics and digital technologies. Imec leverages its state-of-the-art R&D infrastructure and its team of more than 5,500 employees and top researchers, for R&D in advanced semiconductor and system scaling, silicon photonics, artificial intelligence, beyond 5G communications and sensing technologies, and in application domains such as health and life sciences, mobility, industry 4.0, agrofood, smart cities, sustainable energy, education, … Imec unites world-industry leaders across the semiconductor value chain, Flanders-based and international tech, pharma, medical and ICT companies, start-ups, and academia and knowledge centers. Imec is headquartered in Leuven (Belgium), and has research sites across Belgium, in the Netherlands and the USA, and representation in 3 continents. In 2022, imec's revenue (P&L) totaled 846 million euro.  

Further information on imec can be found at www.imec-int.com. 

Imec is a registered trademark for the activities of imec International (IMEC International, a legal entity set up under Belgian law as a “stichting van openbaar nut”), imec Belgium (IMEC vzw supported by the Flemish Government), imec the Netherlands (Stichting IMEC Nederland),  imec Taiwan (IMEC Taiwan Co.), imec China (IMEC Microelectronics (Shanghai) Co. Ltd.), imec India (IMEC India Private Limited), imec San Francisco (IMEC Inc.) and imec Florida (IMEC USA Nanoelectronics Design Center Inc.). 

Contact: Jade Liu, international press officer // T +32 16 28 16 93 // M +32 495 71 74 52 // Jade.Liu@imec.be