Estonia’s first commercial 5G network is now live, with Telia Eesti launching services in the city centres of Tallinn, Tartu and Parnu.
Telia is using Ericsson’s spectrum sharing solution to launch 5G using existing spectrum since 5G licences are not scheduled for auction until early next year. The network uses 5G hardware manufactured locally, and boosted by LTE and New Radio (NR) units.
According to CommsUpdate, Telia is aiming to have 20 operational 5G sites before the end of 2020, and will expand the network nationwide after acquiring additional mid-band and high-band spectrum at auction.
Robert Pajos, CEO of Telia Estonia, said: “Although the state has yet to issue 5G frequency licences within the 3.5 GHz frequency range, Ericsson’s 5G technology enables us to take advantage of frequencies already in use.”