Bāliņa emphasized that 5G has the potential to push the frontiers of many industries: “We're talking about a major digital transformation, through which artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things sensor technologies will improve the urban environment, healthcare, and our quotidian lives in general. Similar to the mobile internet being connected to a PC or a phone, 5G will provide faster, more efficient and secure communication for a variety of rescue services, the industry and the infrastructure.”
With 5G about to be launched worldwide, Latvia is one of the first countries to have made a step forward in already putting 5G to use. All Latvian mobile operators have announced that they are working on introducing 5G in Latvia.
The president of LIKTA admitted, however, that the availability of 5G devices is limited. Therefore, the hope is that the use of the 5G network will become more prevalent at the end of 2019. Bāliņa also emphasized that the crucial thing about the introduction of 5G is to create innovative solutions for using the 5G.
We are one of the leading countries when it comes to the development of the mobile communications network, and this should be used to boost Latvia's competitiveness,” said Bāliņā.
President of LMT Juris Binde noted that, for now, the new-generation 5G Internet network is not intended for general public use, but rather for the management of industrial and technological processes.
Mobile operators LMT and Tele2 launched 5G mobile base stations in a few locations in Latvia in mid-July. A third operator, Bite, launched its first 5G station in test mode in June this year.
