Tacoma Tideflats’ Launches Private 5G Network

Discover how the Tacoma Tideflats is harnessing the power of a Private 5G Network to modernize enterprises and spur technological innovation across multiple industries.
Tacoma Tideflats' Launches Private 5G Network
Image Credit: Port of Tacoma

Expanding the Horizon with Private 5G: A New Dawn at Tacoma Tideflats

The Tacoma Tideflats area is on the brink of a technological revolution with the launch of an innovative Private 5G Network. This pioneering project, led by the 5G Open Innovation Lab and its partners, marks a significant milestone in leveraging cutting-edge technology to reshape the business landscape.

Bridging the Technological Gap: The Tacoma Tideflats Challenge


Before the introduction of this private 5G network, businesses in Tacoma Tideflats faced a technology gap. Existing network infrastructures were not equipped to handle the increasing data demands and complex operations of modern enterprises, leading to inefficiencies and limited growth potential.

5G: A Game-Changing Solution for Tacoma’s Enterprises

The solution was a tailor-made 5G Private Network, designed to address the specific needs of local enterprises. This network’s ingenious use of existing structures for deployment exemplifies cost-effective and efficient infrastructure implementation.

Proven Success: The Initial Triumphs of the 5G Network

The successful deployment across the East Blair Peninsula, covering key operational areas of the participating companies, serves as tangible evidence of the network’s effectiveness. It demonstrates the feasibility of leveraging 5G in complex industrial environments.

Technology Choice |ย Why 5G? The Strategic Choice Behind the Network

The decision to implement a 5G network was strategic, considering its capabilities in handling high data volumes, ensuring robust connectivity, and offering scalability options essential for enterprise growth.

Benefits: Beyond Connectivity

The private 5G network brings a plethora of benefits:

  • Enhanced operational efficiency with faster, reliable data transmission.
  • Improved safety protocols through real-time monitoring.
  • Significant contributions to ecological sustainability by optimizing resource usage.
  • Strengthened community health initiatives through better connectivity.

Redefining Industry Standards: The Broader Implications

This project positions Tacoma Tideflats as a technological frontrunner in North America, potentially influencing similar initiatives worldwide. It sets a benchmark for how private 5G networks can invigorate industrial areas.

The Driving Force: 5G Open Innovation Lab’s Pivotal Role

The 5G Open Innovation Lab’s role is crucial in creating a collaborative environment where startups, technology giants, and investors converge to explore and develop groundbreaking solutions.

Collaborative Synergy: The Strength of Partnerships

Partners like Washington Maritime Blue play a vital role in promoting data sharing and technological application in the maritime sector, which is vital for the Blue Economy.

Current State: The Network’s Operational Phase

The network is currently in a pilot phase, with plans for expansion based on initial success and feedback from the enterprises involved. Beginning with the feasibility study in 2022, the project has swiftly moved to an operational phase, fueled by strategic investments and a clear vision for the future.


Recent Content

Connecting the unconnected requires more than just broadband buildout. National digital inclusion strategies focus on affordability, digital skills, devices, and sustainable infrastructure to empower all communities. Learn how federal programs, state initiatives, and public-private partnerships are reshaping broadband access across America.
The fiber, data center, and telecom sectors are evolving rapidly amid rising AI workloads, cloud expansion, edge computing, and new investment models. This article breaks down the key trends โ€” from fiber deployments in rural markets to secondary data center expansions and telecoms shifting to platform-based services, that are reshaping digital infrastructure for a hyperconnected future.
In 2025, data centers are at the forefront of AI innovation, balancing the explosive growth of AI workloads with urgent sustainability goals. This article explores how brownfield and greenfield developments help operators manage demand, support low-latency AI services, and drive toward net-zero carbon targets.
A focus on efficiency and cost-cutting, often driven by “bean counters” and “time and motion” experts, stifles innovation and leads to job losses, mirroring the current AI discourse. Overemphasis on efficiency, like the race to the bottom, can ultimately harms everyone except the initial beneficiaries. For example, distributed energy where building new infrastructure and expanding into new sectors, like solar, generates jobs in manufacturing, installation, and new industries. Instead of solely fearing job displacement, we should prioritize investment in innovation, education, entrepreneurship, and just transition policies to create a future where progress benefits all through job creation. I advocate for strategic investment to build the future, instead of just shrinking the present.
AI promises major gains for telecom operators, but most initiatives stall due to outdated, fragmented inventory systems. Discover why unified, service-aware inventory is the missing link for successful AI in telecomโ€”and how operators can build a smarter, impact-ready foundation for automation with VC4’s Service2Create (S2C) platform.
Whitepaper
Telecom networks are facing unprecedented complexity with 5G, IoT, and cloud services. Traditional service assurance methods are becoming obsolete, making AI-driven, real-time analytics essential for competitive advantage. This independent industry whitepaper explores how DPUs, GPUs, and Generative AI (GenAI) are enabling predictive automation, reducing operational costs, and improving service quality....
Whitepaper
Explore the collaboration between Purdue Research Foundation, Purdue University, Ericsson, and Saab at the Aviation Innovation Hub. Discover how private 5G networks, real-time analytics, and sustainable innovations are shaping the "Airport of the Future" for a smarter, safer, and greener aviation industry....
Article & Insights
This article explores the deployment of 5G NR Transparent Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTNs), detailing the architecture's advantages and challenges. It highlights how this "bent-pipe" NTN approach integrates ground-based gNodeB components with NGSO satellite constellations to expand global connectivity. Key challenges like moving beam management, interference mitigation, and latency are discussed, underscoring...

Download Magazine

With Subscription

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

Scroll to Top