On April 15, the GSMA Digital Nation Summit commenced in Hanoi, bringing together Vietnamese government officials, industry leaders, and key stakeholders from the digital economy. Amid a surging global wave of digital transformation, Vietnam is actively pursuing breakthroughs in its digital economy, and the summit provided a vital platform for international collaboration and exchange.

Representing China at the summit, Yang Liu, Standards Director at AILINK, delivered a keynote speech highlighting China’s advancements in smart port development. Liu shared actionable insights aimed at accelerating digital transformation across ports worldwide.

5G as the Game Changer: Addressing Legacy Port Challenges Through Policy and Innovation

As vital hubs of global trade, ports have long grappled with challenges around efficiency, safety, and cost. Traditional port operations remain heavily reliant on manual labor—container trucking and crane handling, for instance, involve high labor costs. Limited digital infrastructure hampers coordination and real-time decision-making. Meanwhile, safety risks such as working at heights and driver fatigue continue to pose serious concerns, all of which have slowed the industry’s path toward modernization.

A joint directive issued by ten Chinese government ministries outlines a clear roadmap for building world-class ports: by 2025, ports should pilot 5G-powered autonomous container trucks; by 2035, the goal is to establish fully intelligent container hubs. This vision aligns closely with the global trend toward port digitalization. Emerging technologies—chief among them 5G—are enabling ports to experiment with new business models and significantly upgrade both operational efficiency and functional capabilities.

Full-Spectrum 5G Deployment: AILINK’s Smart Port Solution Powers the Next Generation of Port Operations

Liu outlined AILINK’s 5G Smart Port Solution, which integrates a private 5G network with an on-site edge computing platform to form a high-performance, secure, and autonomous digital foundation. The solution spans five key operational scenarios:

1.5G + Remote Crane Control: Enhances efficiency and safety in crane operations, enabling seamless container transfers within yards. 

2.5G + Autonomous Transport: Meets the demands of stable, reliable, and maintainable connectivity for unmanned transport systems such as AGVs, ensuring safe, efficient horizontal movement across terminals.

3. 5G + Smart Tallying: Automates container inspection and recordkeeping using smart quay crane systems, improving speed and accuracy while minimizing human exposure to hazards.

4. 5G + AI-Powered Alerts: Moves safety protocols from passive alerts to proactive risk mitigation. AI-driven analysis platforms for cranes and port-wide systems elevate the overall security posture.

5.5G + Intelligent Scheduling: Optimizes dispatch and throughput with smart trailer and tugboat coordination systems that reduce idle trips, shorten distances, and ensure maritime docking safety.

AILINK’s Smart Port 5G Solution provides end-to-end support for the digital transformation of port operations. Its locally deployed private 5G network forms a secure infrastructure designed to keep data within the port, enable closed-loop operations, and ensure full autonomy over network and data systems—effectively safeguarding core business processes. Meanwhile, AILINK’s on-site computing platform integrates and manages a wide array of industrial software, delivering intelligent control tailored to the complex and dynamic nature of modern port environments.

AILINK’s Domestic Success Stories: Bringing China’s Smart Port Experience to the World

Liu also shared successful domestic deployments. At a terminal in Xiamen, AILINK retrofitted rubber-tyred gantry cranes for remote operation via a dedicated 5G network—reducing labor costs and boosting efficiency. In a major Shandong port, the company delivered full 5G coverage and a personnel tracking system, laying the groundwork for remote AGV control and intelligent inspections.

These implementations not only validate the commercial value of 5G in port operations, but also offer replicable models for emerging markets in Southeast Asia and beyond.

With its Smart Port 5G Solution, AILINK aims to help ports transition toward more efficient, sustainable, and secure operations. As a symbol of the convergence between digital and industrial economies, smart ports represent the future of maritime logistics. AILINK stands ready to collaborate globally to build the next generation of intelligent, adaptive, and resilient ports.