LG Uplus Signs Agreement for Smart Port Development at Yeosu Gwangyang Port

[Asia Economy Reporter Seolgina Jo] LG Uplus announced on the 12th that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Yeosu Gwangyang Port Authority, Gwangyang Port West Container Terminal, and Jeollanam-do Provincial Government to establish 5G MEC remote-controlled cranes at Yeosu Gwangyang Port.

Through this MOU, LG Uplus plans to apply MEC and low-latency video transmission solutions to two container handling cranes (RTGC) operating at Yeosu Gwangyang Port within this year, building a remote control solution that allows operators to control cranes as if they were on-site. Starting with this, the collaboration will be expanded to develop Yeosu Gwangyang Port into a smart port.

MEC (Multi-access Edge Computing) is a technology that places data centers closer to service sites through distributed cloud computing, maximizing the ultra-low latency of 5G. The 5G MEC remote-controlled crane solution enables operators to control container cranes from a control room located far from the yard. Remote control allows for increased container stacking capacity and automatic loading during idle times, potentially improving productivity by about 40%. The company also explained that it helps improve the working environment for operators who have to work for 8 hours in a control room 25 meters above ground.

LG Uplus will build optimized 5G base stations within the terminal and utilize the Gwangju MEC Center to provide a stable communication environment capable of remote control. Along with this, a ‘low-latency video transmission solution’ that compresses ultra-high-capacity video to minimize delay time will be applied. When this solution is used together with the 5G network and MEC, latency can be reduced to below 100ms, and video transmission time can be shortened by more than 84% compared to LTE.

Having previously established remote-controlled cranes at Dongwon Busan Container Terminal in Shingamman Pier, Busan Port, LG Uplus plans to expand its smart port business nationwide.

Seo Jaeyong, Head of Smart Infrastructure Business at LG Uplus (Executive Director), said, “Following Busan Port, the establishment of 5G MEC remote-controlled cranes at Yeosu Gwangyang Port will not only improve productivity and safety simultaneously but also enable various business collaborations for the ‘smart port’ projects to be carried out at Yeosu Gwangyang Port in the future.” He added, “LG Uplus will take the lead in upgrading domestic ports into smart ports.”