Telia Company has unveiled a 5G partnership between its Estonian subsidiary Telia Eesti, Ericsson and Tallinn University of Technology (TalTech) which aims to launch a pilot 5G network on the university campus by the end of this year. Companies and start-ups are invited to use the trial network to develop future services and new business models, Telia says.
Meanwhile, TalTech has built a self-driving car dubbed Iseauto, which will become one of the first cooperation projects within the 5G pilot’s scope. The partners plan to have the car operational using 5G signals on a smart city test platform during 2019.
Telia Eesti CTO Kirke Saar commented: ‘In 2016, together with Ericsson, we announced our plan to launch the first 5G network in Stockholm and in Tallinn. Now it is time to fulfil this promise.’ She added: ‘Our goal is to use the 5G network to create a vision of how 5G will improve our lives, and how high-tech solutions can shape a future city. We want to demonstrate how different vehicles move and communicate with each other, how smart houses affect our daily lives, and showcase traffic with self-driving cars, smart traffic signs and infrastructure equipped with various sensors. We believe that this new technology will make our lives safer, more convenient and effective, both in homes and public spaces.’