Swedish-owned mobile operator Tele2 Latvia has deployed its first ‘5G-ready’ base stations, in Ziepniekkalns and Talsi, whilst a third site is set to be installed in Valmiera by the end of the year. The base stations use Nokia’s AirScale Radio Access technology and will help the cellco achieve its goal of offering theoretical peak download speeds of 1Gbps over current 4G technologies, and potential throughput of up to 10Gbps with the launch of 5G, the cellco said in a press release. Commenting on the development, Tele2 Chairman Valdis Vancovich was quoted as saying: ‘While major players in the telecom market are still presenting the first technologies, software and devices for providing 5G and perception, we are already beginning to adopt them … Already, by preparing the infrastructure for the 5G network, our customers will be among the first in the world to enjoy the cloud-based mobile network and the internet.’