Cellnex Poland and CETIN a.s. will secure connectivity for BALTCOR5G under CEF Digital EU Programme

Shared 5G infrastructure to be deployed in cross-border areas between Czech Republic and Poland as a part of the BALTCOR5G initiative supported by Connecting Europe Facility Digital EU  Programme (CEF Digital).

The project is carried out by Towerlink Poland (part of Cellnex Poland group) and the Czech CETIN a.s. (part of CETIN Group). It is implemented with the support of the CEF Digital Programme 2021-27. The deployment of 5G technology in cross-border market-failure areas has the potential to revolutionize the way people in these regions access and use telecommunications services. It shall be deployed within the next 3 years (2024-2026).

As part of the ongoing BALTCOR5G activities Cellnex (through Towerlink Poland) and CETIN will be deploying a dedicated telecommunication infrastructure – both passive and active – for areas with no or very limited 5G coverage. The plan assumes the deployment of several sites both in Poland and the Czech Republic along 125 km A1 Road corridor in the cross-border regions between the cities of Częstochowa and Ostrava. The project will enable testing 5G for mobility, including digitizing the road infrastructure with a network of sensors, such as HD cameras that use 5G to send video streams in real-time to Artificial Intelligence components to analyze road traffic automatically. This will allow the road operator to monitor the highway traffic in detail, in 1-or-2 km segments, and manage the traffic intelligently.

We are proud to be able to provide support to the European roadmap to provide continuous and quality connectivity of cross-border road networks, thus promoting improved mobility, road safety and economic development of their areas of influence. Working together with our Czech Partner on a cross-border corridor connectivity is a unique example of cooperation between independent TowerCo and a wholesale operator, exceeding the interests of one particular country. I am sure this project will be significant in securing seamless communication on a crucial transportation route for European businesses.– said Santiago Argelich Hesse, CEO of Cellnex Poland.

“We are excited to be part of the BALTCOR5G initiative, working alongside Towerlink Poland to deploy shared 5G infrastructure in cross-border areas between the Czech Republic and Poland. This collaboration underscores our commitment to extend and improve 5G coverage in all underserved areas. With the support of European Union’s CEF funding, we aim to pave the way for innovative digital infrastructure solutions like Connected Automated Mobility,” said Juraj Šedivý, CEO of Cetin Group.

Additionally, Cellnex and CETIN plan to deploy the infrastructure that allows benefiting from Connected and Automated Mobility (CAM) solutions in the future. Thanks to CEF Digital subsidy beneficiaries will be able to offer a neutral infrastructure to different stakeholders (like Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) or road administrators), which would not be possible otherwise.

Project’s plan assumes the deployment of two categories of infrastructure. The first category concerns a shared 5G infrastructure and includes passive, active, and transmission layers. Thanks to the deployment of passive infrastructure the MNOs can host their 5G macro equipment (including C-Band allocated to MNOs) to provide coverage. Transmission infrastructure will ensure data transfers to newly deployed sites, and their connection to the core networks of operators.

The second category of infrastructure concerns CAM solutions.  Implementation of this part of the project will begin with deployment of MEC layer at the sites near the road, to process locally the data collected from the customers, assuring low latency times. This infrastructure is intended to be neutral and shared between various stakeholders – both telecommunication companies, road administrators and enterprises. It ensures lowest costs and the shortest time to market to deploy advanced final customer services.

About CEF Digital

CEF Digital Programme promotes public and private investment, contributing to the creation of 5G cross-border corridors projects of European interest.  At the same time, it benefits the establishment of a secure and sustainable high-performance infrastructure, including Gigabit and 5G networks. The improvement of the infrastructure will be one of the key milestones for achieving the digital transformation of the continent and for ensuring that Gigabit connectivity reaches all EU homes by 2030. The program aims to strengthen connectivity networks by supporting new backbone infrastructures or improving existing ones.

The main actions foreseen under CEF Digital include:

• Deploying very high-capacity networks, including 5G systems, in areas where socioeconomic drivers are located.
• Guaranteeing uninterrupted coverage with 5G systems of all major transport paths, including the trans-European transport networks.
• Deploying new or a significant upgrade of existing backbone networks, within and between Member States and between the Union and third countries.
• Implementing and supporting digital connectivity infrastructure related to cross-border projects in the areas of transport or Energy.

About Cellnex Telecom

The efficient deployment of next-generation connectivity is essential to drive technological innovation and accelerate inclusive economic growth. Cellnex is the independent wireless telecommunications and broadcasting infrastructures operator that enables operators to access Europe’s most extensive network of advanced telecommunications infrastructures on a shared-use basis, helping to reduce access barriers for new operators and to improve services in the most remote areas.

Cellnex manages a portfolio of around 128,000 sites – including forecast roll-outs up to 2030 – and 9,700 DAS nodes & Small Cells in Spain, France, Italy, the UK, Poland, Portugal, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Denmark, Sweden and Austria.

In Poland, Cellnex began operations in 2021, after acquiring passive infrastructure (towers and masts) from mobile network operators P4 and Polkomtel. Poland is also the first country where Cellnex has also invested in active infrastructure (antennas, transmitters), buying them back from Polkomtel. Cellnex Poland currently provides telecommunications infrastructure management services to Play and Polkomtel, as well as to other entities (road managers, services – including police and fire departments) in a Network as a Service model and in-building telecommunications infrastructure for commercial entities.

More information: http://www.cellnex.pl

About CETIN a.s.

CETIN owns, operates and modernises the largest electronic communications network covering 99.6% of Czech population. We provide infrastructure services for fixed and mobile networks, data services for corporate networks and data centre rentals, and provide international voice services for both domestic and foreign providers. We are an independent wholesale player with no ties to any particular provider, our philosophy is the principle of open network access on fair terms for all operators.  CETIN a.s. is a member of CETIN Group.

www.cetin.cz

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About CETIN Group

CETIN Group is a leading wholesale provider of active and passive telecommunications infrastructure services in the Central and Eastern Europe. We provide complex connectivity solutions for all use-cases, operating in four countries: Czechia, Hungary, Bulgaria, and Serbia.

www.cetin.eu