Lithuania approved the 5G Development Guidelines for 2020-2025

Today the Government approved the 5G Development Guidelines of Lithuania for 2020-2025, initiated by the Ministry of Transport and Communications. Their purpose is to safeguard gradual and controlled development of 5G connection through effective legal and investment environment in Lithuania.

According to the Minister of Transport and Communications, Mr. Jaroslav Narkevič, Lithuania endeavours at implementing the European Commission’s decisions regarding development of this technology and at the same time it tries to safeguard keeping control of this process in the hands of the State. Upon approval of the guidelines and implementation of the suggested measures, the supervision of 5G connection development by the public authorities would be guaranteed in Lithuania, and a favourable legal and investment environment would be created simultaneously.

The 5G development stages and tools are provided in the guidelines prepared by the working group formed from representatives of the Ministry of Transport and Communications, associated public authorities and business. It is planned to implement 20 complex tools that will create technical, legal and organizational conditions for implantation of 5G connection and its effective development. It is planned to attribute radio frequencies intended for 5G connection before 2021, as well as to set the use conditions of buildings, engineering structures, main national transport corridors, their nodes and other physical infrastructure suitable for implantation of mobile connection systems; and to carry out the recommendations safeguarding top security of 5G connection networks. It is planned to implement the project of creation of infrastructure of access to new-generation internet in “white” spots in the country by 2022; as well as to safeguard the most effective solutions of electricity supply for the connection systems. It is also planned to monitor and inform the society continuously about safeguarding of electromagnetic radiation for health in the course of implantation of 5G systems; to create conditions for expansion of innovative mobile connection services and technological solutions based on interaction between objects, internet and devices, and other tools provided in the guidelines.

5G connection development in Lithuania is planned in four stages:

• Beginning of implantation of 5G connection and its development in the domestic territories in 2021;
• 5G connection is available in at least one of the largest Lithuanian cities by 2022;
• Uninterrupted 5G functioning in Vilnius, Kaunas, Klaipeda, Siauliai and Panevezys by 2023;
• 5G connection is available in the territories of towns and villages, international transport corridors (“Via Baltica”, “Rail Baltica”), on the roads of national importance, on the railways and in the ports by 2025.