5G mobile coverage is well underway ashore, but also at sea where it is not so much about fast data for smartphones. It is rather used a new infrastructure that paves the way for the next generation of digital tools and business models, because we can communicate much faster than today and reduce the latency in transmission time to a few milliseconds. This will enable much closer monitoring of equipment, which in turn enables equipment manufactures to offer better and more circular solutions where the equipment can be upgraded and improved throughout the entire lifetime of the ship.

Workshop at DFDS House

“Telenor Maritime and DFDS have been working closely together for several years and it is natural for us to explore the opportunities in those new technologies and tools together,” says Jakob Steffensen, Head of DFDS’ Innovation and Partnerships department.

“But Telenor and DFDS are not the only companies to benefit from new digital opportunities. Therefore, we had arranged a workshop with MAN, Alfa Laval, DFDS and Telenor to explore and discuss how an effective standardised mobile infrastructure can support the work to improve the technical operation of ships in various areas,” says Jakob.

Augmented reality could ease work and collaboration

At the workshop, which took place at DFDS House today on 21 February, MAN said that a good digital infrastructure may open opportunities for supplementing technical manuals with a new generation of support tools that use Augmented Reality to inform the engineers (Augmented Reality is a tool that can show a virtual picture of the engine and its inner and moving parts). It can make teleconferences for troubleshooting practical as an alternative to sending a specialist to the ship.

Open innovation

“We discussed a lot of other opportunities which will be too much to report about here. I am extremely proud that the new mobile network and the use of it is being tested on ARK DANIA, and that we can share our ambitions, thoughts and knowledge as we did today to innovate and improve. This is open innovation which is the best way forward for a more efficient and sustainable shipping,” says Jakob.