Baltic Sea regional forum set to boost 5G ecosystem

What will be the future of 5G deployment in the Baltic Sea region and how can companies and consumers realize the benefits?

That will be the focus of the Baltic Sea Region 5G Ecosystem Forum — also dubbed “5G Techritory” — in Riga, Latvia, on 27 – 28 September. The forum will bring together up to 1,000 industry leaders, policymakers and experts on 5G deployment from around the world to discuss how to create a healthy 5G ecosystem for businesses and consumers in the region.

‘There is a great potential in the 5G ecosystem [for] joint development in [the] Baltic Sea Region, based on innovative business models.’ – Māris Kučinskis, Prime Minister, Republic of Latvia

Coordination for the “5G Techritory” event was led by the Electronic Communication Office of Latvia, in close cooperation with the Office of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Latvia, the Nordic Council of Ministers, 5G Automotive Association (5GAA) and the ITU. Industry partners include Latvian Mobile Telephone (LMT), Cisco and Huawei, among others.

The forum is organized within the framework of the ITU European Regional Initiative on Broadband Infrastructure, Broadcasting and Spectrum Management, adopted by the World Telecommunication Development Conference 2017 (WTDC-17).  The objective of this Regional Initiative is “to facilitate high-speed connectivity with resilient and synergistic infrastructure development, deployment and sharing, whilst ensuring a trusted and quality user experience.” Expected results from action under this initiative from 2018 -2021 include:

• Development of national and regional plans, and feasibility studies for deployment of 5G
• Assessment of dynamics, challenges and opportunities in respect of the roll-out of 5G across Europe in the context of the creation of ubiquitous resilient high-speed broadband infrastructure
• Sharing of best practices and case studies in 5G experience

The “5G Techritory” forum offers a platform for sharing experience, assessing challenges and opportunities of 5G roll in Europe region while considering a potential regional deployment plan.

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“There is a great potential in the 5G ecosystem [for] joint development in [the] Baltic Sea Region, based on innovative business models,” says Māris Kučinskis, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Latvia.

“5G technology will change the way people communicate and access information, leading us into an era of ‘Everything on Mobile,’ adds David Liu, CEO of Huawei Technologies, Baltics and Finland.

The goal of the forum is to create a platform that could serve as a model for building the ‘European Gigabit Society’, an effort to improve connectivity across Europe so that everyone can participate in the digital economy.

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In addition to 5G developments, participants will also discuss topics including the advancement of Smart Cities, spectrum and connectivity requirements for Connected Cars, and the benefits of telemedicines, among other ways emerging technologies are creating new business opportunities.

The forum will feature more than 60 keynote speakers, including:

• Andrus Ansip, European Commissioner for Digital Single Market and Vice President of the European Commission;
• Anne-Catherine Berner, Minister of Transport and Communications of Finland;
• Steve Mollenkopf, CEO at Qualcomm Incorporated;
• Peter Karlstromer, Senior Vice-President at Cisco;
• Chaobin Yang, President of 5G Product Line at Huawei Technologies;
• Markus Borchert, Senior Vice President for the Europe Market at Nokia Corporation; and
• Gabriela Styf Sjöman, Vice President – Deputy Head of Global Services & Operations and Head of Group Networks, Telia Company AB.

“The technology is ready, and we are excited to engage in discussions with our business partners and key Nordics and EU decision-makers on how to make sure Europe is ready to reap the benefits.” – Peter Karlstromer, Senior Vice-President, Cisco

The forum will also include presentations on the latest 5G technology and a “Future of the Car” event led by Steve Mollenkopf, CEO of Qualcomm Incorporated.

For key insights on trends in connected cars, read the latest edition of the ITU News Magazine

“We look forward to sharing our vision for how 5G can help digitize the European economy and generate a new environment for service creation for the telecommunications industry,” says Peter Karlstromer, Senior Vice-President at Cisco.

“The technology is ready, and we are excited to engage in discussions with our business partners and key Nordics and EU decision-makers on how to make sure Europe is ready to reap the benefits,” he concludes.