Cost-Efficient Network Planning for the Cross-Border Baltic Corridor—A Study

Performing 5G coverage planning across borders introduces real-life challenges related to legalities, intercountry agreements, and binding documents. This work provides RF network modelling exercise results to provide uninterrupted 5G coverage to the Via Baltica and Rail Baltica transport corridors crossing Estonia and Latvia and on the border with Lithuania, as well as the Tallinn–Tartu–Valga and Valka–Valga roads (Latvia–Estonia), capable of cross-border 5G services. The study starts by identifying and interviewing stakeholders from different sectors of operation in the Baltic states and Europe and then provides an overview of some of the main legal acts and documents regulating the electronic communications sector in the Baltic states and Europe. Furthermore, 5G network requirements are proposed. In addition, the necessary and existing passive and active infrastructure is described, including spectrum management-related analysis, where the RF bands 700 MHz and 3500 MHz are analysed. Finally, coverage planning is performed. The network modelling results aim to foresee the number of new sites that need to be built on the said transport corridors, also examining the existing infrastructure for such purposes. Additionally, an estimated timeline for building the new sites is provided.