The Port Authority of the Southern Tyrrhenian and Ionian Seas has won a competitive public tender issued by the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, securing approximately EUR€2 million in funding for the digital transformation of the Port of Gioia Tauro.
The authority topped the evaluation rankings with a score of 94 points, earning funding under the Fund for Technological Innovation and Digitalization administered by the Department for Digital Transformation.
The awarded project centres on the construction of a standalone 5G private network within the port area, using a small cell architecture operating in the 3.7GHz frequency band.
The network will be built as a dedicated telecommunications infrastructure, physically and logically separated from public networks, giving the port authority full control over data management and network performance.
The architecture is designed to deliver ultra-high-speed wireless connectivity, minimal latency and the capacity to simultaneously manage thousands of connected devices.
The technical rationale for the project acknowledges the specific challenges of the port environment, where metal structures, containers and cranes create signal reflections and attenuation that complicate conventional wireless coverage.
The proposed solution addresses these conditions through integrated RF antenna units with fibre connections, reducing infrastructure complexity compared to legacy distributed antenna systems while improving reliability and coverage consistency.
Initial applications will focus on security and operational management, with dedicated virtual networks created for video surveillance, logistics operations and personnel communications.
The 5G infrastructure is simultaneously positioned as an enabling platform for future services including smart logistics, autonomous vehicle operations and augmented reality applications.
The funding is drawn from Italy’s broader digital agenda framework, encompassing the national strategy for ultra-broadband, the strategic programme on artificial intelligence and the digitisation of public administrations and businesses.
Port Authority President Paolo Piacenza described the outcome as an extraordinary result that positions Gioia Tauro at the forefront of port digitalisation in Italy.
