Verizon chooses Nokia as its hardware and software provider for Thames Freeport Multisite Private 5G trading

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London, UK – June 25, 2025 – Nokia, Verizon Business and Thames Freeport have announced a strategic partnership to deploy Verizon Private 5G networks across several major logistics, manufacturing and innovation sites along the Thames Estuary River in the UK. The Verizon Private 5G network serves as the technology foundation for billions of dollars in operational transformation and economic revival in one of the UK’s busiest maritime logistics hubs.

Private 5G Network Buildout provides a scalable, long-term connectivity foundation for the deployment of advanced data, AI, edge computing, and IoT infrastructures aimed at port and manufacturing operations conversion.

Technology strengthening will boost the local economy and play a direct role in vocational training and reskilling efforts as part of employment initiatives, supporting the local economy in supporting the innovation and research and development cooperation of freeport tenants and external companies, governments and research institutions. Thames Freeport has already created 1,400 jobs and is expected to reach 5,000 by 2030, focusing on advanced training for local communities.


“The partnership between Thames Freeport and Nokia, Jennifer Artley, Verizon Business’s 5G acceleration SVP, said: “Thames Freeport will develop one of Europe’s most technologically advanced commercial corridors, enabling innovation and economic revitalization across the community. It will not only promote operational improvements to help partners preempt the curve. It lays the foundation for new revenue streams, community development, and further commercial and technology investments.”


Verizon Private 5G networks enable advanced data and application capabilities for AI-driven data analytics, predictive maintenance, process automation, autonomous vehicle control, safety monitoring, and real-time logistics orchestration. Nokia is the only hardware and software provider in the network that incorporates Nokia Digital Automation Cloud (DAC) and Nokia MX Industrial Edge (MXIE).

The Verizon Private 5G network will be deployed to:

DP World London Gateway and DP World Logistics Park are the UK’s largest and most integrated Deep-Sea container ports and logistics facilities, some with over 3 million ports per year. The hub includes a rail terminal with 20 daily services and a 9.25 million square feet of high-technological centre. Tilbury Port, the largest port of the combined Thames Freeport Port. Tilbury handles 16 million tonnes of cargo per year at 31 independent working terminals. Operated by Forceport, the site constitutes an important logistics hub for the construction, automobile, food and drink sectors. London’s largest manufacturing site, Ford Dagenham is a unique location that offers access to local manufacturing clusters, proximity to suppliers, and brings major production closer to the final market.

“A flexible, high-performance connectivity platform is important to our long-term vision,” says Martin Whiteley, CEO of Thames Freeport. “Investing in private 5G is not an upgrade to incremental networks. This is the backbone of technological transformation that drives long-term multi-stakeholder missions, including operational excellence for tenants. ROI of shareholders such as Ford, DP World and Port 4; close-time diagnostics at health services sites.


“The private wireless and industrial edge is the basis for digital transformation of industrial sites, and the deployment of Thames Freeport is an example of a large landmark of this evolution.” “It is one of the largest commercial private 5G rollouts in a European port that incorporates the Nokia DAC platform. This network allows Thames Freeport to overlay advanced use cases, including being responsible for comprehensive intrusions such as AI-driven data analytics, predictive maintenance, process automation, automation of operational vehicle control, safety monitoring, and real-time logistics orchestration. Regional efficiency, sustainable growth, and long-term economic opportunities.”


Thames Freeport has a mission of economic revitalization and operational excellence centered on stimulating trade, fostering innovation, supporting the energy transition, creating jobs and improving the lives of those around it. Verizon Business’s private 5G network helps enable a variety of strategic priorities on the Thames Free Port site that will help with its mission.

Choice priorities include enabling advanced technology layers such as AI, Edge computing, and IoT across active industrial sites where Freeport stakeholders can collaborate on new applications. For example, industrial sites can leverage IoT for near-real-time tracking, smart routing and condition monitoring of autonomous yard tractors and Quay cranes, as well as cargo. This allows tenants to ingest cargo, assess volume and condition, ship faster and more efficiently, less to reduce damage or misplacement.

Additionally, AI with edge computing helps manage environmental impacts via smart sensors connected to the edge and AI-driven analytics that monitor and optimize port operations and asset performance, including near-realistic time monitoring of emissions, air and water quality, and noise levels.

Managing the use of Verizon Private 5G network infrastructure is the responsibility of Thames Freeport and its tenant shareholder organizations. This ensures the right and proper connectivity to meet site-specific requirements while protecting data and operational autonomy.

About Nokia

At Nokia, we create technology that helps the world act together. As B2B Technology Innovation Leaders, we are a pioneering network that senses, thinks and acts by leveraging our work across mobile, fixed and cloud networks. Additionally, it creates value through intellectual property and long-term research led by award-winning Nokia Bell Labs, which celebrates 100 years of innovation.

With a truly open architecture that integrates seamlessly into any ecosystem, our high-performance networks create new opportunities for monetization and scale. Global trust of service providers, businesses and partners Nokia offers today’s safe, reliable and sustainable networks and works with us to create today’s digital services and applications.

About Verizon

Verizon Communications Inc. strengthens and empowers how millions of customers live, work, play, play, and deliver the demands of reliable network connectivity and security. Headquartered in New York City, Verizon, serving countries around the world and almost all of the Fortune 500, generated $134.8 billion in revenue in 2024. Verizon’s world-class team is stopping innovation to meet today’s customers and meeting tomorrow’s needs.