Latvian mobile communications and technology company LMT, a capital company of the Riga Free Port Authority, in cooperation with port technology services provider SIA “LVR Flote”, conducted a maritime 5G demonstration in the Port of Riga and provided 5G connectivity solutions after numerous tests and measurements.
IThis was the first demonstration of a full-scale 5G maritime solution with various applications using both airborne and surface drones. Within the framework of the demonstration, 5G provided real-time high-capacity data transfer, uninterrupted 5G connectivity at sea and adequate communication capacity. Representatives from LMT, Riga Freeport Authority, LVR Flote as well as delegations from the German ports of Lübeck and Hamburg observed the trials on board the icebreaker VARMA.
What is 5G?
5G is the fifth generation of cellular networks that promises a better mobile internet experience. Offering connection speeds up to 100 times faster and greater bandwidth than 4G, 5G promises to dramatically improve our everyday experiences.
As explained, the demonstration on board the VARMA vessel provided a unique opportunity to see the 5G multi-hop principle in action in real time, ensuring communication between the LVR Flote floating vessels (icebreaker VARMA, hydrographic drone OTTER and pilot vessel DORE) and the LMT 5G aerial drone. Once the pilot vessel was sailing, guests could see the communication indicators on the monitors as well as the 5G equipment on board the icebreaker VARMA. At the same time, the OTTER hydrographic drone transmitted seabed measurements and video of what was happening on the water, while the LMT 5G aerial drone provided video coverage even when the vessel was out of the viewing area.
During the demonstration, LMT Technology provided seamless 5G mobile data transmission, ensuring simultaneous data exchange between the ship and the drone on the water and in the air. This follows the first successful test in November 2023, when a 5G connection was established to a ship via a land-based 5G network, successfully providing a 5G network connection from the ship to the end user.
The ocean poses challenges for high-quality, high-speed communications that can be solved with maritime 5G technology, and all the work LMT has done so far in testing maritime 5G technology has now evolved into a solution that is unparalleled in the region and across the world.
… says Juris Binde, PhD in Economics, President of LMT. “The introduction of maritime 5G networks and the solutions based on them is becoming increasingly important and will provide an invaluable support in situations where large amounts of data need to be transmitted from ship to ship or from ship to port in a short time, but this is not possible with traditional data transmission methods. The export potential of this new solution is also confirmed by the very strong interest shown by maritime logistics companies and major European ports in the further joint development of such a solution.” Added Juris Binde.
5G technology at sea utilises the circuit principle to transmit data. The 5G network signal is passed from one ship to the next, thereby maintaining communication between the ship and the port, and between ships at sea. The demonstration by LMT and LVR Flote, following initial trials conducted in the autumn, is further proof that 5G maritime technology can successfully provide 5G coverage in the Baltic Sea.
Kaspar Ozolins, Managing Director of LVR Flote, a capital company of the Riga Freeport Authority:“The port tests demonstrate the potential that 5G technology brings to data exchange at sea, which is of vital importance not only for our services but for the entire shipping industry. At the same time, the presentation of the results of this cooperation project also familiarizes international partners with the creation of an innovation testing environment in the Riga Free Port for the development of new projects in the field of port and maritime digitalization and the integration of information systems.”
