Residents of the republic, accustomed to their mobile internet, must, in fact, stick to large populated areas and main roads. Otherwise, if you venture into a bear's corner – whether in Kurzeme or Latgale – you will be left without communication.
The East is a Delicate Matter
5G is a trendy thing, but it’s just too expensive, and the poor have no servants... Unfortunately, the most modern iPhone will turn into a child's shovel if you bring it, for example, to the Alūksne region – and try to use the mobile device options outside the regional center. I won’t be able to play my favorite Chess.com, for instance, in Alsviki or Baltinava. Because, as indicated by the coverage map of the modern mobile network recently presented in the Saeima, no operator has yet thought to cover this territory with their magical network. It’s simply too expensive, and who is left of the local population there? It doesn’t pay off.
However, why go so far? It’s enough for a resident of Riga to go fishing south of Jūrmala – and they will immediately find themselves in a vast white spot. The same goes for the surroundings of Liepāja and Ventspils – it’s unlikely that while picking mushrooms and berries, one will be able to access the internet bank.
According to a European Union study, 5G connectivity is available to 71% of households in Latvia, while the average in the EU is about 91%. Here’s the important thing – our statistics are given specifically for households where you can freely catch a signal from your home router. By the way, in terms of fixed, optical, home internet, Latvia has a very small gap with the Old World – 61.11% and 69.24%, respectively.
During the time of COVID madness, a very useful initiative was carried out in our republic – with money from Brussels, 7,379 km of optical cables were laid across the territory, costing 75 million EUR, of which 65 million came from European funds. We can do it if we want – if such pace were applied to the construction of embankments and bridges for Rail Baltica, we would have long been riding from Vilnius to Tallinn with ease.
So, the old, good optical remains the most acceptable solution for the farms in Latgale – yes, it won’t catch a signal in the field, but from home, you can provide any digital services. Currently, there are 5 projects being implemented through the Ministry of Communications, totaling 3,270,906 euros; as a result, 6,200 households will receive the "last mile" connection. Owners will only need to purchase a box with two antennas at their own expense and enjoy digitization.
Why is 5G Needed?
At the dawn of the "mobilization" for the fifth generation, the towers of the new standard raised many concerns – both microwave radiation, which is dangerous for birds, and the spread of cancer. However, in recent years, your author has noticed that these urban legends have somehow quieted down, and the folklore is no longer being revived.
On the other hand, fifth-generation mobile communication acts as a driver of progress in the so-called Internet of Things. With its help, one can control, for example, a "smart" vacuum cleaner, lawn mower, or gates at home. Such networks at the city level light up street lamps, traffic lights, and ensure the operation of barriers.
In terms of crossing the border in a personal vehicle – it’s also a useful thing. And here, there are problems near the borders with the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus. Although we are not very friendly with them these days – communication specialists have counted 124 places with insufficient coverage that should be eliminated as soon as possible. As stated in the material for parliament – "to ensure continuity of communication in emergencies and support the functionality of the State Border Guard and service 112."
At the same time, 5G is useful for production, medicine, and logistics needs. Therefore, it is quite likely that private networks will gradually increase in problematic regions – say, in the technology parks that are currently sprouting in the provinces.
Still, unfortunately, one cannot escape demographics – and it is unlikely that those fragments of the territory of Latvia where there are no permanent residents will be included in modern networks anytime soon. Data analysis on the population is planned to be conducted in collaboration with experts from the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Smart Administration and Regional Development. Like – they found a grandmother in the outskirts, and she gets internet! So that in case of anything, they can send a signal to the pipe - an annoying civil defense signal. All of this is within the framework of the European Union directives, its special Megabyte regulation.
"The Belarusians Will Intercept Them." Turning on Geopolitics
The chairman of the Saeima subcommittee for Latgale, Edmunds Teirumnieks (National Alliance), stated that "in the current geopolitical situation," equipping mobile communication is extremely necessary for both municipalities and legal entities.
Agnese Zariņa – the director of the Communications Department of the Ministry of Communications, pointed out that 5G devices can work in the current 4G infrastructure, just with a tiny delay. "This is significant... for industrial robots," the official noted. Indeed, in a second, an uncontrolled unit can travel several meters, crash into a wall or a person. Stable operation of sensors based on 5G is also necessary for access sensors.
Moreover, there is currently a mass production of drones for the defense of the country on the agenda – how will they hover over areas threatened by the enemy without reliable communication?
Ms. Zariņa acknowledged that mobile communication businesses operate where it is profitable for them. That’s why white spots arise far from large cities... "Data from the European Commission indicates that the difference is particularly large in rural areas."
Deputy Anna Rancāne (New Unity) confirmed that upon visiting the Smiltene region – which is in Vidzeme! – she could not find a zone on her phone. In the border area, the operator of the neighboring state connects.
– You need to turn off mobile data, otherwise the Belarusians will intercept it, – warned the vigilant A. Rancāne. In response, communication experts pointed out that there is a "harmonization" of communication capacities with the neighboring state. According to the international convention, there is "mutual coordination" with Belarus. However, in any case, "radio waves cannot be prohibited from spreading across the state border." All that Latvian authorities can do is monitor and file complaints with international organizations. For example, they managed to reclaim an entire frequency from Russia!
Kristaps Zālītis, parliamentary secretary of the Ministry of Communications, reported that the ministry is currently dispatching special expeditions on-site – specialists are measuring the acceptability of communication. So, if you see young people in rubber boots with antennas in a remote area, they are not spies, they are ours.
