The government of Latvia has pledged to assist Ukraine in restoring and growing its telecommunications infrastructure. Latvia, which is regarded as a leader in Europe’s 5G development, wants to use its experience to help Ukraine rebuild its ICT networks.
The telecom infrastructure in Ukraine has been severely damaged since the Russian invasion in February 2022. More than 4,000 mobile base stations and 60,000 kilometers of fiber-optic lines were destroyed, causing more than €2 billion in damages.
Ten main areas of cooperation are outlined in the Memorandum of Cooperation that representatives from both nations signed. Regarding infrastructure, Latvia pledges to support human-centered, sustainable internet connectivity as well as the immediate restoration of broadband internet in Ukraine. Latvia also promises to support the introduction of 5G technologies in Ukraine by utilizing its knowledge base and encouraging collaborations for infrastructure restoration.
From a legal standpoint, Latvia will help Ukraine implement EU regulations in the telecom industry, particularly the Radio Spectrum Policy Programme (RSPP) and the European Electronic Communications Code (EECC). In order to create laws and regulations that are in line with EU and global best practices, Latvia will offer advice and share its expertise.
Aside from that, the agreement includes provisions for Ukraine’s involvement in EU-funded projects, particularly those that focus on developing telecommunications infrastructure through initiatives like the Connecting Europe Facility. Furthermore, Latvia pledges to help Ukraine develop connectivity on its road and rail infrastructures by drawing on its expertise from the EU-funded Rail Baltica project.
Finally, Latvia will help Ukraine by facilitating its interaction with organizations like the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in the area of international telecommunications.
In addition to helping Ukraine rebuild and develop its telecom infrastructure, this partnership between Latvia and Ukraine also offers opportunities for Latvian businesses and advances Latvia’s efforts to meet the EU’s Digital Decade goals.
