Telia, which launched a non-commercial 5G in Lithuania last year, is increasing the number of next-generation communication base stations to 32. The newly installed network equipment of the Swedish company Ericsson is already operating in densely populated areas of Vilnius from Pilaitė to Avižieniai.
“Up to 1.8 gigabits per second (Gb / s) internet speed on the phone, insignificant delay and huge network capacity can be used by thousands of Telia customers today at no extra charge. This is not the future, but the present, for which we have been preparing since 2018, ”says Andrius Šemeškevičius, Chief Technology Officer of Telia.
Currently, all private and business customers with an unlimited mobile data plan and a Sony, OnePlus, Huawei, Xiaomi smartphone or router that supports 5G technology can try Telia 5G connection in Lithuania free of charge.
Since November 2020, Telia’s 5G connection has been operating in the city centers of Vilnius, Kaunas and Klaipėda and in the Klaipėda Free Economic Zone. This year, after starting the network upgrade with Ericsson equipment, a new generation base station cluster was installed in the north-western part of Vilnius. These stations provide mobile communication to the population from Pilaitė to Avižieniai, simultaneously ensuring both previous generations (2G, 3G, 4G) and 5G communication.
Over the next two years, Telia plans to replace nearly 2,000 old base stations with advanced Ericsson stations. All of them will be able to provide 5G connection if necessary. Also, VoLTE technology is already available on both Telia’s 4G and 5G networks, which connects calls instantly, providing a whole new level of call quality and the ability to make calls and surf the Internet at the same time.
For testing 5G communications, Telia uses a non-commercial radio frequency band from the 3.5 GHz frequency band provided to the company by the Communications Regulatory Authority (RRT). The operator is also testing 5G connections in the 700 MHz band, which is easier to overcome obstacles such as trees and building walls, and can cover a large area, but with a slightly lower internet speed.
Commercial 5G communication services in Lithuania should be launched after frequency auctions. The date of the first 700 MHz auction is expected this year, and the date of the 3.5 GHz auction will depend on negotiations with Russia, which has designated the frequency for military use.
Ericsson equipment will improve the quality of the current 4G connection and 5G connection will use up to five times more energy in terms of data transfer, which is especially important given the ever-growing volume of data and Telia’s goal of zero CO2 emissions by 2030. . Thus, with Ericsson equipment, the Telia network will become more sustainable, secure and fully ready for commercial 5G deployment in the future.
Telia and Ericsson signed a strategic partnership agreement last year.
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