Mykhailo Fedorov, Deputy Prime Minister for Innovation, Education, Science and Technology Development and Minister of Digital Transformation, and Kaspars Briškens, Minister of Transport of the Republic of Latvia, have signed a Memorandum of Cooperation in the field of digitalisation, in particular, the restoration and development of Ukraine’s telecommunications infrastructure. This will enable the introduction of innovative technologies in the restoration, accelerate the launch of 5G and strengthen Ukraine’s integration into the EU.

“Ukraine needs more innovation to remain resilient during the war and keep up with global trends. In particular, the introduction of 5G technology. Today we have signed a memorandum with the Ministry of Transport of Latvia on the development of telecoms. We will work together to restore broadband infrastructure, support Ukrainian mobile operators and accelerate the launch of 5G in Ukraine. Latvia’s expertise in EU regulations and experience in building the first public 5G network in Europe are very valuable for our country,” said Mykhailo Fedorov.

Latvia was one of the first countries in Europe to launch public 5G. That is why the exchange of experience with the leading country in the telecoms sector will help improve mobile networks, modernise broadband infrastructure and accelerate the launch of 5G in Ukraine.

In total, the memorandum envisages 10 areas of cooperation. These include:

• support for the restoration of broadband infrastructure;
• support for mobile operators;
• promoting integration into the EU in the field of electronic communications and Ukraine’s participation in international technical assistance programmes and projects, in particular the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF);
• facilitating the improvement of the network and quality of mobile communications in Ukraine, in particular through the launch of 5G;
• improving Internet access on Ukrainian railways and roads based on Latvia’s experience with Rail Baltica.

According to Kaspars Briškens, Minister of Transport of Latvia, digital infrastructure and innovation is an important part of the country’s drive to increase its international competitiveness – by facilitating the rollout of 5G/6G, further engaging the public sector in the innovation ecosystem, creating an industry digital twin and deploying smart ITS, the Internet of Things and future mobility systems. Cooperation with Ukraine and learning from its experience can help Latvia not only achieve its goals, but also make a significant contribution to Ukraine’s involvement in the European digital ecosystem.

As a reminder, the World Bank estimates that the telecoms infrastructure in Ukraine suffered USD 2 billion in losses due to russia’s invasion. In particular, more than 4,000 base stations and 60,000 kilometres of fibre-optic lines were destroyed. In addition, 12.2% of households lost access to mobile communications.