PSA Singapore adopts Motorola radio system for Tuas Port

PSA Singapore has adopted Motorola Solutions' TETRA digital radio system for its port operations, including the expansion of Tuas Mega Port.

The communications system is used across PSA Singapore's transhipment hub, which handles container traffic around the clock. The companies say the network serves more than 4,000 users and supports an average of 540,000 voice calls a day as staff coordinate vessel, container and terminal movements.

PSA Singapore operates the world's largest transhipment hub, facilitating the movement of more than 40 million twenty-foot equivalent unit shipping containers a year across 600 ports worldwide. Tuas Mega Port is central to its long-term expansion and is being developed in four phases.

When fully operational in the 2040s, Tuas Mega Port is expected to handle up to 65 million TEU containers annually. The project, valued at about USD $20 billion, is intended to create the world's largest fully automated container terminal.

Port network

Reliable communications are central to daily port operations, especially where container flows, vessel movements and workforce deployment must be managed continuously. The TETRA radio network helps maintain links between personnel across terminals as PSA Singapore expands activity at Tuas.

The deployment reflects the operational demands of large container ports, where coordination between teams is closely tied to safety and cargo handling efficiency. In Singapore, those demands are amplified by PSA's role in global shipping routes and transhipment flows.

Philbert Chua, Container Division Managing Director at PSA Singapore, highlighted the port group's role in international trade and the importance of the Tuas development to its long-term plans.

"PSA Singapore is a strategic hub for global trade that facilitates the movement of more than 40 million Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit (TEU) shipping containers annually across 600 ports around the world," said Chua.

"The development of the Tuas Mega Port is a long-term strategic investment that leverages advanced technologies and innovations to strengthen Singapore's competitiveness, resilience and agility in managing the growing complexities and challenges of global supply chains."

Long relationship

Motorola Solutions' relationship with PSA Singapore spans two decades. The latest deployment extends that partnership as PSA shifts more activity to Tuas, a project at the centre of Singapore's maritime and logistics strategy.

The use of TETRA, a radio standard widely adopted by transport, emergency service and industrial operators, reflects the need for dedicated voice communications in environments where constant uptime and group coordination are critical. In ports, these systems commonly connect workers in control rooms, on quay cranes, in container yards and across marine operations.

Rajat Gupta, Vice President for Asia, Middle East & Africa at Motorola Solutions, said operational and safety requirements have shaped the company's work with PSA Singapore.

"Our 20-year relationship with PSA Singapore is built on a shared understanding that safety is the foundation of productivity," said Rajat Gupta, Vice President for Asia, Middle East & Africa at Motorola Solutions. "As Tuas Port scales to become the world's largest container terminal, our focus remains on providing the secure and reliable communication and services that personnel need to collaborate seamlessly every day."

The scale of the radio traffic cited by the companies underlines the complexity of managing one of the world's busiest maritime hubs, with an average of 540,000 voice calls made each day across PSA Singapore's operations.