Ireland’s First Digital Highway To Run From Border To Rosslare

Ireland’s first ‘digital highway’ is set to spearhead a new era of connected transport and road safety from the Northern Ireland border to Rosslare Europort.
 
The Emerald Motorway Corridor (EMCIE) will deliver enhanced 5G connectivity along the length of the M1, M50 and M11 and could provide the basis for the future of communications across Ireland’s motorway network, its project launch was told today. (Oct19)
 
The digital highway will enable road users and authorities to take advantage of advances in hazard and weather alerts, real-time tracking for cargo, compliance and border automation, port operations that respond to live conditions and road and transport infrastructure monitoring.
 
Twelve new communications towers and upgrades to 22 existing ones will provide the infrastructure to support the next generation of connected transport and logistics in Ireland.
 
Supported by €3.5m funding from the EU’s Connecting Europe Facility (CEF), 5G EMCIE forms part of a European network of similar cross-border corridors.
 
The project is being implemented by Vantage Towers, Three Ireland and Wings ICT Solutions, and was launched in Wicklow today. (Oct19)
 
“The corridor has the potential to progress technologies for use across Ireland’s motorway infrastructure,” said Brian McHugh, Managing Director, Vantage Towers Ireland.
 
“It will pilot automated use cases across transport and logistics as well as additional 5G-related applications for road safety alerts, infrastructure and environmental monitoring, port operations and worker safety.”
 
Initial use case scenarios have been agreed with Rosslare Europort and will be piloted and validated by late 2028, while engagement continues with other partners.
 
The pilot will combine cameras, sensors, wearable technology and data analytics to demonstrate how advanced 5G connectivity can warn of hazards, congestion and weather incidents, protect lone workers and monitor the corridor infrastructure, environmental conditions, vessel activity and traffic. 
 
As an example, sensing devices connected over 5G can help identify isolated incidents of high winds or flooding on road sections to be detected and relayed as timely alerts to relevant road users and authorities.
 
“This initiative is creating the digital foundation for smarter transport, more efficient logistics and better-connected communities and businesses along one of the country’s most important transport routes,” said Eoin MacManus, Chief Business Officer, Three Ireland.
 
“The real value lies in the services and innovations that continuous, real-time 5G connectivity can enable. 
 
“Connected infrastructure and Internet of Things solutions can help detect hazards sooner, respond to incidents faster, improve supply chain visibility and create a blueprint for smarter transport networks across Ireland.”
 
The launch heard how on-board units can be installed on freight vehicles operating along the corridor from Dundalk to Rosslare Europort, enabling real-time tracking and data collection.
 
These can provide seamless end-to-end supply chain visibility, from documentation to continuous monitoring of product health and status – something that is crucial in the transport of perishable or live goods.
 
As one of Ireland’s key transport and logistics corridors, the road can be monitored, providing real-time alerts for critical motorway incidents and deterioration, as well as predicting likely outcomes for road users if, for example, debris appears on the surface.
 
“By combining data from sensors, cameras and on-board units with 5G connectivity and data analytics, we can help operators and authorities continuously monitor conditions and identify emerging risks,” said Prof Panagiotis Demestichas, CEO of Wings ICT Solutions.
 
“The aim is to provide timely information and alerts that support safer operations and better coordination, along the corridor.”
 
Wings coordinate a similar corridor between Greece and Bulgaria and will demonstrate transport and logistics applications and service continuity during cross-border network handover at the launch.
 
The pilot use cases are intended to demonstrate technologies that, once validated, could be scaled across other transport corridors, ports and logistic hubs throughout Ireland, helping support safer, smarter and more connected mobility services nationwide.