Once complete, the Emerald Motorway Corridor (EMCIE) will bring 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.
What is the Emerald Motorway Corridor?
The project is part of a European network of similar cross-border corridors and is supported by €3.5 million in funding from the EU’s Connecting Europe Facility.
It is being delivered by Vantage Towers, Three Ireland and Wings ICT Solutions. Twelve new communications towers will be built and 22 existing ones upgraded to support the next generation of connected transport and logistics in Ireland.
Brian McHugh, Managing Director of Vantage Towers Ireland, said, “The corridor has the potential to progress technologies for use across Ireland’s motorway infrastructure.
“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.”
How can the Emerald Motorway Corridor make roads safer for drivers?
The pilot will combine cameras, sensors, wearable technology and data analytics to show how 5G can warn of hazards, congestion and weather incidents.
It will also be used to protect lone workers and to monitor the corridor’s infrastructure, environmental conditions, vessel activity and traffic.
Prof Panagiotis Demestichas, CEO of Wings ICT Solutions, said that 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.”
For example, sensing devices connected over 5G could detect localised incidents involving high winds or flooding on stretches of road and relay timely alerts to road users and authorities.
The road could also be monitored for critical incidents and deterioration, with the system predicting potential consequences for road users if, for example, debris appears on the surface.
What will it mean for freight and logistics?
On-board units can be installed on freight vehicles operating along the corridor from Dundalk to Rosslare Europort for real-time tracking and data collection.
This can give operators end-to-end supply chain visibility, from documentation to continuous monitoring of the condition and status of goods. This is particularly important when transporting perishable or live goods.
The digital highway is also expected to support compliance, border automation and port operations that respond to live conditions.
Eoin MacManus, Chief Business Officer at Three Ireland, said the 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”, adding, “The real value lies in the services and innovations that continuous, real-time 5G connectivity can enable.”
When will the Emerald Motorway Corridor be up and running?
The first trials, agreed with Rosslare Europort, are due to be tested and validated by late 2028, and talks with other partners are still ongoing. If the technology proves itself, it could then be rolled out to other motorways, ports and logistics hubs around the country.
If there is anything about this story we have not covered, you can avail of our expert advice service via the Ask Us Anything page.