Colombia’s Puerto Antioquia welcomes private LTE

Details: Vaughan O'Grady; Category: Wireless Networks; 29 December 2025; 8261 views

The slow but steady growth of private networks in Latin America appears to be continuing with last week’s news from operator Telefonica Movistar Colombia that its business division Movistar Empresas has implemented the first industrial private LTE network in a maritime terminal in Colombia.

The deployment will boost the connectivity of Puerto Antioquia located in the southeast of the Gulf of Uraba, on the northern coast of Colombia. This port, which does not yet seem to have officially begun operations (though this was due to take place late in 2025), is described as a strategic project that Movistar says will transform foreign trade and economic development of the Uraba region.

Puerto Antioquia is a multi-purpose port designed to move up to seven million tons of cargo annually. Its strategic position places it 350 kilometres closer to a number of important production and consumption centres than other Caribbean ports, making it key to improving Colombia's logistical competitiveness.

And LTE, it is hoped, will help it to achieve this aim. As Alejandro Costa, CEO of Puerto Antioquia, explains: "This is the first port in the country designed to be 100% digital from the beginning. This private industrial LTE network allows us to guarantee safe, traceable and real-time operations, preparing Puerto Antioquia to become a world-class logistics hub.”

With the help of Nokia technology, Movistar Empresas has implemented a private industrial LTE network that aims to ensure communication and total control over port processes.

This digital infrastructure will help to ensure low communications latency and maximum security, along with high levels of traceability and load control, and reduced operational risks thanks to reliable connectivity. Movistar Empresas suggest this offering will also help to scale technological capacity for future automated offerings and Industry 4.0. solutions.