Information and communication technology services provider Bite Latvija plans to install 60 new base stations and upgrade 210 existing ones this year. By the end of 2025, the company aims to have approximately 850 base stations equipped with 5G technology, General Director Mindaugas Rakauskas told LETA in an interview.
He emphasized that expanding the base station network is the company’s top priority. “Historically, we have been the third player in the market, and the third player has to run fast. And we have been running fast,” Rakauskas said.
According to him, the company currently operates more than 1,100 base stations in Latvia, nearly 700 of which are already equipped with 5G. Bite Latvija plans to continue making significant investments, having invested over EUR 200 million in network development over the past 20 years.
Rakauskas noted that the network was initially built using Huawei technologies. However, after risks associated with Chinese technology were identified, Bite Latvija made a strategic decision to transition to equipment from the European manufacturer Ericsson.
“So now, we are not only upgrading from 3G or 4G to 5G, but also switching to a different manufacturer. This is neither a simple nor a cheap process, but I believe its benefits will be felt by everyone who uses the network,” he said.
Bite Latvija aims to provide 5G access to 85 percent of the Latvian population by the end of the year. Meanwhile, 4G is already available to around 99 percent of the population.
Rakauskas also revealed that the company intends to fully transition to 5G within the next few years. “Maybe in a few years, we will start talking about the next step – and when 6G will arrive,” he added.
When asked about the timeline for phasing out Huawei equipment completely, Rakauskas said that most of it has already been replaced, and the remaining equipment is expected to be phased out by the end of 2026.
As reported, Bite Latvija posted a turnover of EUR 183.75 million last year, marking a 12.5 percent increase compared to 2023. The company’s profit rose by 1 percent, reaching EUR 33.71 million.
Bite Latvija, established in 2005, has a share capital of EUR 44 million and is wholly owned by the Lithuanian Bite Group.
Source: BNS
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