Verizon Business secured its first European private 5G network contract, supplying Associated British Ports (ABP) with connectivity for one of the UK’s busiest ports, as the US operator continues a global enterprise drive.

The deal is the first private 5G contract inked in the region by the US operator’s enterprise arm, which unveiled its ambition to target customers located in Europe and Asia-Pacific with the service in October 2020.

Verizon’s private network offer is being delivered in partnership with Nokia.

Its deal covers the operation of a private 5G network for the Port of Southampton, which Verizon said would provide secure, low-latency connectivity and will be the first network of its type in a UK mainland port.

Around £40 billion-worth of exports go through Southampton every year, making it one of the busiest ports in the country.

Verizon noted the 5G network would address the “immediate problem of loss of onsite data communications as a result of poor Wi-Fi connectivity” and provide the basis for technologies including real-time analytics, IoT, Machine Learning and could eventually support asset tracking, autonomous guided vehicles and predictive maintenance applications.

Tami Erwin, Verizon Business CEO, added the deployment would allow the port to “take full advantage of new technology applications and real-time analytics which will digitally transform its services in the future”.

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.