5G Cross border transport corridors for connected and automated mobility (CAM) in Baltics (Via-Baltica/Rail-Baltica)

Submitted by Lithuania

Report:

Year registered: 2020

Type:

DigitalTransport

Status:Registered

3SI countries proposing the project:

Lithuania

Participating 3SI countries:

Latvia, Poland, Estonia

Partner countries:

* not part of the 3Seas Initiative

Main objectives:

To ensure the ubiquitous 5G connectivity along the main Lithuania’s transport corridors – Via-Baltica and Rail-Baltica by building the missing mobile infrastructure (with all included elements: ducts, fibre optics for transmission, towers, electricity, etc) that would be customized for 5G;
to have a better environment for deployment of 5G technology and enable connected and automated mobility (CAM) which is a huge step forward for sustainable mobility and the improvement of traffic safety. It’s also has the potential to unlock deferent new innovative digital services;
to create a secure and safe environment for citizens to enjoy the benefits of connected and automated mobility.

Short description:

Related countries are committed to ensure the ubiquitous 5G connectivity along the section of Via-Baltica and also Rail-Baltica to improve interoperable driving for autonomous vehicles and CAM. All the involved countries also agreed to work towards reaching this objective as soon as possible, taking into account the European Union’s multiannual financial framework from 2021 to 2027. The missing mobile networks (with all included elements) must to be built for this purpose. Lithuania and Poland signed a letter of intent on 5 of September 2018 to cooperate on technical, legal and policy conditions of the cross-border CAD corridor Via-Baltica (Warsaw, Kaunas, Vilnius). Similar initiative, memorandum of Understanding Lithuania signed with Estonia and Latvia on 28 of September 2018. The Baltic states is determined to participate in this project actively and has established an intergovernmental Working Group which started its work on 14 of June 2019 in Vilnius. On 28 of November 2019, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Poland have signed the roadmap regarding Via Baltica “5G/connected automated driving corridor”.

Calendar of implementation:

Planning

Budget:

According to preliminary calculations to implement this project in Lithuania will cost approximately 27 million Euros.

Funding opportunities are currently planned by the Commission both under the last phase of Horizon 2020 and under the next EU budget proposal. In particular, as part of the next Connecting Europe Facility programme (CEF2) for 2021-2027, the Commission has proposed to dedicate €3 billion to support investment in digital connectivity infrastructures, of which part is proposed for large-scale deployment of 5G corridors including roads and railways.

€27M0%
secured

Financing sources:

CEF

3SIIF

Other sources

CEF provides grants only 30-50% of project cost, so an additional contribution of 3SI would be very important to fill up the financial gap.

Coherence with EU Priorities and Policies

Relevance of the project for the region

Whether innovative, safe and sustainable new technologies are to be used

Baltic States and Poland need to take advantage of all current technologies – 5G, AI etc. that is already here and most of telecom operators have already tested. So, one of the first steps foreseen – to make our transport paths to be “5G corridors”. 5G infrastructure along major transport routes is a crucial step for sustainable mobility and the improvement of traffic safety. In the 2018 ministerial declaration “Making 5G a success for Europe” and the “5G roadmap” Baltic states and Poland have agreed on a common vision for a fully connected society starting with major cities and major transport routes.

In addition to the intended practical objectives (infrastructure mapping,identifying infrastructure gaps etc.) for implementation of the 5G corridors project, the States have also set out the strategic ones, which worth to mention:

Search for and share industry pilots and use-cases on cooperative, connected and automated mobility. There might be a need to support ITS clusters, pilots and testing.
Make testbeds available in order to give the technology into best use. Via Baltica should be fully covered with digital connectivity infrastructure and in particular 5G systems, enabling the uninterrupted provision of synergy digital services such as connected and automated mobility.
Look for synergies between 5G evolution and different transport projects. The Rail-Baltica project team is working closely with entrepreneurs from the IT sector to envisage 5G connectivity along the whole corridor, in combination with a public private partnership, with the ultimate aim of supporting the new services. 5G connectivity may be also important for other sectors or areas, such as the provision of information on alternative fuels infrastructure, contribution to the services provided by the National Access Points or traffic management centers. Constant efforts are necessary to use 5G for developing a truly smart mobility along the Via Baltica corridor.

Also, there is good examples of cooperation and deployment of Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS), that already exist.

Description of entities involved