U Mobile and Qualcomm complete 5G-IoT cargo tracking PoC

Details: John Tanner; Category: Enterprise Ecosystems; 20 April 2026; 694 views

Malaysian telco U Mobile said on Friday that its enterprise arm, U Business, has completed a 5G IoT proof of concept (PoC) with Qualcomm and City-Link Express for high-value air cargo tracking.

The two-month PoC involved integrating U Business’ bespoke IoT connectivity solution, ULTRA IoT, and Qualcomm’s terrestrial positioning service (TPS) into City-Link Express’ logistics operations. The goal was to validate the ability of a 5G-IoT architecture combined with asset tracking to reduce shipment verification times and improve incident resolution in real operational conditions.

Air cargo shipments from City-Link Express’ main hub in Bandar Saujana Putra, Selangor to Kota Kinabalu and Kuching in 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, which provides limited visibility into handling conditions between scan points. Put simply, real-time updates aren’t possible, which means that when damage or delays occur, it takes a long time for logistics providers to determine what went wrong and where.

In the PoC, Qualcomm trackers attached to City-Link Express’ high-value shipments monitored location and multi-sensor conditions including shock, tilt, temperature and light exposure to the shipments in real time. Qualcomm’s TPS solution leverages Wi-Fi, cellular signals and Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacons for accurate positioning in locations where GPS signals can’t reach.

By connecting to U Business’ 5G IoT network, the trackers enabled a continuous digital audit trail across airport handling, airline custody transfers and final delivery, said U Mobile chief business officer How Lih Ren.

“The results have been encouraging, with shipment location verification improving by up to 90% and operational review time reduced by up to 70%,” he said in a statement.

How added that digital sensor records increased dispute readiness by up to 50% by providing objective data showing exact conditions throughout transit. Meanwhile, the PoC demonstrated up to 30% improvement in data accuracy, which enables better route optimisation and proactive capacity planning based on actual performance patterns rather than estimates.

Colin Tan, business development senior manager at City-Link Express, said the PoC promised to be a “game changer” for its 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,” Tan said. “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.”