LMT and «MikroTik» establish a 5G laboratory / Article / LSM.lv

Latvian technology companies Latvijas Mobilais telefons (LMT) and MikroTik have jointly established a 5G laboratory in the historical technology center of Riga – near VEF – informed LMT press secretary Elīna Lidere. It is already testing the latest 5G technology solutions and a prototype for a 5G router , which will be able to provide unprecedented quality data transmission to connected equipment in the future.

According to the creators of the laboratory, at the beginning of the year a powerful 4G router was created in it, which LMT and MikroTik also transferred to wider sales, but in the autumn of 2020 the joint work on the development of a 5G router prototype was completed. The developed 5G router could be commercially available in the first quarter of next year.

The 5G laboratory created by LMT and “MikroTik” is located in a significant place – in the building of the legendary factory VEF, which was once the main center of technology development and innovation not only in Latvia, but in the whole region. Such a place for the laboratory was not chosen by chance, but because VEF once established LMT. Also, both LMT and “MikroTik” are to some extent successors of VEF’s ambitions, Lidere points out.

“For several years now, LMT and its partners have been working not only on the development of the 5G network and infrastructure in Latvia, but also on the development of innovative technological solutions that would allow to take full advantage of 5G in the future. The creation of such new solutions requires specific technical knowledge, skills and expertise, as well as an environment suitable for work, research and testing. In order not only to create bright future technology ideas in Latvia, but also to implement them, together with MikroTik we have created an innovation laboratory, where a 5G network is available and innovations can be tested in action. The establishment of this laboratory is one of the main preconditions for the viability of technological innovations created in Latvia, as it opens up opportunities to improve solutions to perfection, while they are still under development. This, in turn, improves the competitiveness of products created by Latvian information and communication technology (ICT) companies, as well as expands Latvia’s leadership opportunities in the global technology market, ”points out LMT President Juris Binde.

“Along with the development of the 5G network, it is essential to create high-performance and functional devices that can take advantage of it. It should be emphasized that 5G will not only be faster internet. Significantly lower network latency will provide new opportunities for unmanned car and virtual augmented reality solutions. 5G will also allow unparalleled use of big data, machine learning and artificial intelligence solutions, as it will open up completely new possibilities in the field of sensors and the Internet of Things. It can already be said today that the various completely new technical capabilities being developed in the 5G network infrastructure will create completely new services and solutions in a wide range of industries – similar to how 4G once changed the market for Internet access and television services. Therefore, together with LMT, we have developed a 5G router, which will ensure the necessary data transmission volumes and quality for the connected devices. The availability of such a product will be vital in the future, so we believe that it has great export potential, ”says John Tallis, co-owner and chairman of MikroTik.

LMT has also been developing various digital solutions in the field of drones, smart cities and smart sensors, mobility and protection for several years. Using big data, machine learning, artificial intelligence and the latest mobile communication opportunities, LMT develops innovative services both for customers in Latvia and for export. Together with partners from other countries, LMT participates in several European research projects (COMP4DRONES, SPARTA, iMUGS and 5G Routes) in order to develop opportunities to create high value-added products in Latvia.

SIA “Mikrotīkls”, known worldwide as the brand “MikroTik”, develops wireless and wired network routers for data flow management. The company’s products are distributed worldwide and are used by Internet service providers, businesses and individual users to provide data routing, firewalls, VPNs, and other management functions on a variety of wired and wireless computer networks. The company currently has more than 500 distributors and resellers in 145 countries that sell and support MikroTik solutions.

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