TECHNOLOGY STRATEGY
BELFAST : A CITY POWERED BY EDGE COMPUTING
Belfast ’ s transformation into a technology hub demonstrates edge computing ’ s real-world impact . The city , Northern Ireland ’ s economic centre , handles £ 25bn in trade annually through its harbour and hosts a growing digital sector employing over 28,000 people .
BT Wholesale ’ s deployment for Belfast City Council showcases how edge computing enables immersive experiences in urban environments . The project delivers augmented and virtual reality installations that tell Belfast ’ s story , from its shipbuilding heritage to its current position as a technology centre .
“ We delivered an AR / VR immersive experience using our specially optimised 5G network ,” says Mark Toman , Client Director at BT Wholesale . “ By working with the company providing the AR / VR application and optimising the network , we managed to use our Edge capacity to reduce an 18-hop journey to 8 hops and shave 10ms from the network latency .”
At Belfast Harbour , which handles 70 % of Northern Ireland ’ s seaborne trade , edge computing transforms port operations . BT Wholesale ’ s asset tracking system ensures real-time visibility of port equipment . “ This ensured that port managers knew where assets were at any given time and cranes didn ’ t end up where they shouldn ’ t ,” Toman explains .
The harbour deployment forms part of Belfast ’ s Smart Port initiative , which aims to become the world ’ s best regional smart port through digital transformation . Edge computing enables real-time monitoring of 30,000 vehicle movements per day and manages the port ’ s annual handling of 1.75 million tonnes of bulk cargo .
60 January 2025