Telia launches 5G network in Lithuania
Telia, Sweden’s leading telecommunications company and mobile network operator, is ready to launch 5G in Lithuania, starting in the cities of Vilnius, Kaunas and Klaipėda.
Telia’s network is present across Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Norway, Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania. The operator has had a strong presence in Lithuania since 1995, and Telia Lietuva was the first to introduce previous generations of mobile communication technologies, including 2G, 3G and 4G, to the former CIS country.
The multinational, which runs an international IP backbone network ranked first in the world, has 11 operational base stations implemented and managed by Telia Lietuva, and will be launching two more early next month. Frequencies for testing the technology provided by the Communications Regulatory Authority of Lithuania (CRA) are used for non-commercial 5G communication service.
Recently, Telia in Lithuania formed a strategic partnership with Ericsson to modernise its mobile network and hasten the rollout of 5G. The company has been using Huawei radio access network (RAN) equipment but will upgrade its 2,000 sites over the next 36 months. The Huawei hardware phase-out will start early next year.
Telia Lietuva will offer next-gen 5G mobile communication services in Lithuania after the CRA confirms official terms and conditions for the 5G frequency auction, which is scheduled for 2021.
Dan Strömberg, CEO of Telia Lietuva, said the next generation of mobile networks will encourage the development of a sustainable digital society. The move will also benefit many social areas, from education and medicine to transport and leisure.
He explained, “In 2018, we were one of the first ones in Europe to test 5G technology in live network in Vilnius. Today, 5G connection is taking the second step in Lithuania – we are launching 13 base stations, which will allow people and companies to evaluate the key advantages of 5G, and the impressive speed of mobile Internet first of all, for themselves at no extra cost.”
