The Swedish telecommunication companies, Telia and Ericsson, and Tallinn University of Technology (TalTech) have opened Estonia’s first 5G network.
The network opened on 20 December and will serve as a testbed for innovation and research for industry partners and academia. TalTech’s scientists and students, as well as companies and start-ups can create and test solutions that require fast, high-quality data connection, the university said in a statement. “The 5G network is a permanent installation using standardised and commercial 5G products.”
One of the innovations that will soon navigate based on 5G technology is the self-driving car developed by TalTech – the vehicle will be using the benefits of high speed and low latency to communicate with the surrounding infrastructure.
Speeds ten times faster
According to Andrus Durejko, the head of Ericsson Estonia, the launch of 5G network using commercial and standardised radio and core products serves as an important step toward launching early commercial 5G services in the country. “Building a 5G network in one of Estonia’s most creative environments, the TalTech campus, demonstrates Ericsson and Telia’s joint commitment to drive innovation and the continued digitalisation of Estonia,” he said in a statement.
Telia is planning to open 5G for residential customers in Estonia in 2019.
5G is the next generation wireless network technology that enables clients to use speeds ten times faster than the current 4G technology. 5G networks will also reduce to virtually zero the lag time between devices and the servers they communicate with.
I
Cover: TalTech’s campus (the image is illustrative).
