Lithuania has taken a significant step in its digital transformation with the activation of the country’s first private 5G Standalone network at the Klaipėda State Seaport Authority. The network, deployed and fully funded by Telia Lithuania, has now been switched on and is entering a real-world testing phase within the operational environment of the Port of Klaipėda.
The introduction of a private 5G SA network marks an important milestone not only for the port but also for Lithuania’s wider connectivity ambitions. Unlike non-standalone deployments that rely partly on existing 4G infrastructure, a standalone architecture uses a dedicated 5G core. This allows the network at Klaipėda to function independently of external infrastructure within a defined geographical area of up to ten kilometres. The result is greater resilience, improved security and enhanced performance.
From a technical perspective, the private network is designed to deliver download speeds of up to 1.5 Gb per second and upload speeds of up to 120 Mb per second. Latency can be reduced to below 10 milliseconds, compared with the 15 to 18 milliseconds typically associated with non-standalone 5G. For a busy port environment where rapid response times are essential, this ultra-low latency capability is particularly valuable.
The private 5G SA network is fully separated from the public mobile network and operated as a closed system. This separation enables dedicated resource allocation in real time according to operational needs, ensuring predictable performance and high reliability. It also strengthens protection against hybrid and cyber threats, an increasingly important consideration for critical national infrastructure.
The Port of Klaipėda is already recognised as one of the more digitally advanced ports in the Baltic Sea region, operating systems such as KIPIS for freight and goods information and LUVIS for shipping management, alongside development of a digital port twin. The addition of private 5G SA is expected to accelerate automation and enable new use cases that demand secure, uninterrupted connectivity.
Potential applications under evaluation include smart container identification, coordination of autonomous truck movements between quays and container yards, and the remote operation of heavy equipment such as cranes. These scenarios require not only high throughput but also consistent coverage and extremely low latency, all of which are central strengths of a standalone 5G architecture. Network slicing capabilities further allow capacity to be reserved for specific services, ensuring mission critical applications receive guaranteed performance.
Communication within the port is also set to evolve. Traditional handheld radios can be replaced by a 5G-based Push-to-Talk solution operating via a smartphone application. This approach offers improved audio quality, broader coverage and dedicated channels for different port divisions. Importantly, the system can continue functioning even if there are outages on external public networks, reinforcing operational continuity.
According to data from Ookla, only around 10% of mobile operators worldwide have deployed commercial 5G Standalone networks. In that context, the activation of a private 5G SA network at Klaipėda positions both Telia and Lithuania among the early adopters shaping the next phase of mobile connectivity.
As testing progresses under real operating conditions, the results will provide valuable insights into how standalone private 5G performs in a demanding industrial setting. Beyond the port itself, this deployment could pave the way for similar implementations across other strategically important and critical infrastructure sites in Lithuania, reinforcing the country’s ambition to lead rather than follow in advanced communications technology.
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