Tele2 has equipped all of its mobile base stations located near and along the Via Baltica highway with 5G technology.
The project represents a total investment exceeding 900,000 euros, with approximately one-third financed by the European Union.
“This is effectively the first step towards ‘covering’ the Via Baltica highway with 5G technology,” said Līga Krūmiņa, Tele2’s technical director. “Initially, 5G technology in the base stations will primarily operate on lower frequencies, allowing for broader coverage. Simultaneously, we are gradually adapting these stations to operate on 1.5 GHz, and 3.5 GHz frequencies, which provide very fast data rates.”
Tele2 plans to install approximately 35 new 5G base stations and modernize 135 existing ones across Latvia this year, bringing the total number of 5G base stations in its network to over 1250 by year-end.
The company has also established Baltic Tower Company, which will implement a ten-year investment plan for building new infrastructure to develop and expand network coverage throughout the Baltic region. Baltic Tower Company is a 50/50 partnership with Global Communications Infrastructure LLC, financially backed by Manulife Investment Management, a Canadian-based international financial company. Some of this year’s investments in Tele2’s network development are already being made within this collaboration.
The project, known as 5G Baltics, aims to provide continuous 5G coverage along the entire Via Baltica highway from Tallinn to the Lithuania-Poland border by the end of 2027. The initiative is co-financed by the European Union through the European Infrastructure Connection Instrument (EISI).
The EISI 5G corridor program is being implemented to deploy highly secure and high-performance 5G systems and digital networks, as well as to promote the digitalization of transport and energy networks. As a result of the project, an optical fiber backbone will be built parallel to the highway connecting the Baltic states, making 5G internet more accessible both regionally and throughout Europe. This infrastructure will also support the automation of transportation.
The total planned cost of the 5G-BALTICS project in Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia is approximately 16.5 million euros, with half of the funding provided by the EU. The project involves partners from Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania – Tallinn University of Technology (TalTech), the Estonian Broadband Development Fund (ELASA), Telia and Tele2 Estonia, Elisa, Tet and Tele2 Latvia, Via Lietuva, Tele2 and Telia Lithuania.
