Latvian communication technology company LMT has showcased its 5G solution in its first maritime demonstration at the Riga Port, connecting an icebreaker vessel with aerial and underwater drones.
LMT conducted the demonstration alongside port services provider LVR Fleet, using its 5G tech on the icebreaker VARMA to carry out simultaneous operations with a hydrographic measurement drone and a 5G aerial drone, both streaming video to the vessel.
Juris Binde, president of LMT, said: “All the work that LMT has done so far in testing and trialling marine 5G technologies has grown into this solution, which is so far unmatched in our region or in the wider global context.
“The implementation of the marine 5G network and solutions based on it is becoming increasingly important and will be an invaluable support in conditions where it is necessary to transmit a huge amount of data from ship to ship or from ship to port in a short time.”
The trial of equipment installed onboard the vessel follows LMT’s successful land trials in November 2023, when it established a 5G connection to a ship from a land-based network.
According to LMT, the latest demonstration is the first known test of a full-scale maritime 5G solution to enable aerial and underwater drone applications.
Kaspars Ozoliņš, member of the board of LVR Fleet, said the demonstration highlighted the Riga Freeport Authority’s ability to provide a testing environment in the capital city’s port for further maritime technologies.
He added: “This test in the port shows the possibilities that 5G technologies open up for data exchange at sea, which is very important not only for the provision of our services, but for the entire maritime industry as a whole.”
LMT’s demonstration highlights the maritime industry’s growing interest in improving connectivity at sea as shipping moves further into digitalisation to address environmental concerns and improve operational efficiency.
Alongside the development of 5G technology using the chain principle of passing connections ship to ship, the satellite-based Starlink solution has also gained in popularity with shipping giants like Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd installing the technology on their fleets.
