U Mobile’s enterprise arm, U Business, recently completed a Proof of Concept (PoC) for high-value air cargo tracking with Qualcomm and City-Link Express, using a 5G-IoT architecture and Qualcomm Terrestrial Positioning Service (TPS) through its IoT connectivity.
The initiative saw U Business’ ULTRA IoT connectivity, U Business’ bespoke IoT connectivity solution for enterprises, Qualcomm’s positioning technology enablement provided through Qualcomm TPS being integrated into City-Link Express’ logistics operations.
The PoC was initiated as air cargo shipments from City-Link Express Main Hub in Bandar Saujana Putra, Selangor to East Malaysia involve multiple handoffs across airports, ground handling facilities and airline custody transfers. Conventional tracking methods typically provide checkpoint-based updates through barcode scanning, offering limited visibility into handling conditions between scan points as there are no real-time updates. When damage or delays occur, logistics providers often face time-intensive investigations to determine the source of the issue.
Hence, the PoC aims to validate that a 5G-IoT architecture combined with asset tracking is capable of reducing shipment verification time and improve incident resolution in real operational conditions. The PoC saw Qualcomm trackers being attached to City-Link Express’ high-value shipments to monitor location and multi-sensor conditions including shock, tilt, temperature and light exposure to the shipments in real time. The solution enabled continuous cargo tracking, automated digital timestamping and secure data transmission via ULTRA IoT connectivity, with data from Qualcomm’s trackers captured and visualised on Qualcomm TPS, which delivers accurate, precise and power-efficient positioning using Wi-Fi and cellular signals with optional Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacons for reliable location across challenging signal environments and where GPS struggles to work. This established a continuous digital audit trail across airport handling, airline custody transfers and final delivery.
The PoC was implemented on selected high-value air shipments transported from City-Link Express Main Hub in Bandar Saujana Putra, Selangor to cargo terminals in Kota Kinabalu and Kuching for a period of two months.
| Key Improvement Areas | Metrics |
|---|---|
| Rapid Incident Response | Shipment location verification improved by up to 90%, reducing resolution time from days to hours. When alerts flagged potential handling issues, operations teams could immediately identify the checkpoint and take corrective action before shipments reached final delivery. |
| Enhanced Accountability | Digital sensor records increased dispute readiness by up to 50%. Instead of relying on subjective handler reports, City-Link now has objective data showing exact conditions throughout transit—critical for high-value shipments like pharmaceuticals. |
| Operational Efficiencies | Automated logging and GPS trails reduced operational review time by up to 70%. The reusable tracker design also lowered per-shipment costs compared to traditional single-use monitoring solutions. |
| Improved Planning | Up to 30% improvement in data accuracy enables better route optimisation and proactive capacity planning based on actual performance patterns rather than estimates. |
“U Business, as the enterprise arm of U Mobile, is always seeking to fully leverage our 5G infrastructure and solutions to support the digital ambitions of Malaysia’s businesses. In this particular instance, we are delighted to partner with Qualcomm and City-Link Express on a PoC that aims to increase productivity and accuracy in the shipment of high-value air cargo through the use of 5G and IoT. The results have been encouraging, with shipment location verification improving by up to 90% and operational review time reduced by up to 70%,” said How Lih Ren, the chief business officer of U Mobile. He added, “U Mobile is always keen to go beyond our 5G connectivity to also leverage our U Business solutions to help businesses digitise and scale with confidence.”
“Qualcomm supported this Proof of Concept as a technology enablement partner through Qualcomm TPS, a service that delivers precise indoor and outdoor low-power positioning across complex logistics signal environments. Qualcomm TPS is designed to enable partners to develop and deploy solutions that improve device location and observability, enhancing insights throughout supply chains and beyond,” said ST Liew, the vice president of Qualcomm Technologies and the president of Qualcomm Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand.
“At City-Link Express, we are constantly seeking innovative ways to enhance our service reliability and operational transparency. This collaboration with U Business and Qualcomm has been a game-changer for our high-value air cargo operations. The trackers provided us with unprecedented real-time visibility and objective data that we simply didn’t have with conventional scanning. We have had a very positive response to the trackers’ performance; they allowed us to reduce shipment verification time by up to 90%, transforming how we resolve incidents and ensuring our customers’ high-value assets are handled with the highest level of accountability,” said Colin Tan, the business development senior manager of City-Link Express.
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