More work needed on 5G roll-out

20.11.19 | News
Time-lapse photography of city night lights
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Adrian Schwarz / Unsplash
The Nordic Prime Ministers want the roll-out of 5G to continue and speed up. A new report outlines what needs to be done if the Nordic region is to reach its goal of being the world leader in the use of 5G technology. Now is the time for action, not words.

5G technology has the potential to change society in a whole range of areas. In a Nordic and Baltic perspective, this would include providing more efficient, specialised services to people and businesses. The governments want to be the best in the world at exploiting this technology. To succeed, it is important that they know where it has the greatest effect and where working together represents the best solution.

The Nordic Council of Ministers for Digitalisation (MR-DIGITAL) commissioned the Research Institute of Sweden (RISE) to conduct a SWOT analysis of Nordic/Baltic co-operation on the 5G roll-out. The report provides important pointers for the path to take, e.g. working together to identify and get rid of national and legal obstacles to rolling out 5G across borders, and the need to develop sustainable, transnational business models that will attract investment or trigger opportunities for joint Nordic/Baltic applications for EU funding for transnational projects.

5G technology will be instrumental in the development of a society based on knowledge, innovation, mobility and digital integration.

Paula Lehtomäki, Secretary General of the Nordic Council of Ministers

The report also identifies several national positions of strength as well as areas in which there is still untapped potential for further development,  e.g. production technology, transport and agriculture, where existing research and experiments could be turned into transnational projects.

“Competitiveness as a priority in our new vision for Nordic co-operation. 5G technology will be instrumental in the development of a society based on knowledge, innovation, mobility and digital integration. This makes it important to speed up and enhance the roll-out and use of 5G technology,” says the Secretary General of the Nordic Council of Ministers, Paula Lehtomäki.

The Nordic and Baltic ministers responsible for digitalisation will meet in Riga on 27 November to discuss the results of the SWOT analysis and the road ahead for their work together.