Mobile operators showed today at the Kulata-Promahon border crossing how to maintain an uninterrupted 5G signal and the services it enables

The mobile operator “A1 Bulgaria” participates in the project for uninterrupted 5G and roaming services 5G SEAGUL together with the Greek companies “WINGS ICT Solutions” (WINGS ICT Solutions) and “Cosmote” (COSMOTE). The results of the first phase of the project were demonstrated today in the Kulata-Promahon checkpoint area by representatives of the partners. In the presence of officials from the European Commission, Bulgarian and Greek institutions and journalists, the three companies demonstrated live various scenarios of uninterrupted 5G and roaming connectivity that will contribute to increasing the safety of transport, automation and logistics. A1 is the first telecommunications company in Bulgaria that, as a participant in an EU-funded project, demonstrates uninterrupted roaming and 5G connectivity.

Among the guests at the event were the Chairman of the Communications Regulation Commission Ivan Dimitrov and the Deputy Minister of Transport and Communications Dimitar Nedyalkov.

Practical examples of the use of 5G networks in border areas included VoLTE voice calls and Viber video calls and video streaming conducted from a car moving from Greek to Bulgarian territory and vice versa. Another of the demonstrations showed live the applications of uninterrupted connectivity when moving from Kosmote’s 5G network to A1’s 5G ULTRA network, which will allow smart on-board units (OBU) devices to send telemetry data such as temperature, humidity and other important parameters when transporting goods across the border. This application of the technology will greatly contribute to the field of transportation of fast-moving non-durable goods, food and other cargo sensitive to differences in temperature and humidity.

Zhivko Kovachev, Director of “Convergent Network and Services” at “A1 Bulgaria”, stated: “We are proud to be an active participant in the 5G SEAGUL project and through the achievements of our mobile network and technological experience, we contribute to getting closer to the future of automation, more safe transport and logistics. What we are demonstrating today – the results achieved in the Kulata-Promahon border crossing area with 5G coverage in the 3.6 GHz spectrum provides greater capacity and a better experience for users in the areas where it is expected to have a concentration of a large number of mobile service users, especially in the summer”.

The construction of 5G coverage on the highways that connect Bulgaria and Greece is important both for mobility and for improving digital services for the small municipalities located along this corridor. The Ministry of Transport and Communications welcomes the benefits that the implementation of the project will bring to the 173-kilometer Bulgarian road section. The services that will be available are continuous voice and video calls, autonomous driving, sharing data on the current passenger situation in real time, traffic information, improving transport safety, and last but not least – convenience. High-quality 5G connectivity has the potential to improve digital services, playing a key role in the long-term economic development and social cohesion of the regions,” said Deputy Minister of Transport and Communications Dimitar Nedyalkov at the demonstration of the results of the first phase of the cross-border project.

Ivan Dimitrov, Chairman of the Commission for the Regulation of Communications, commented: “The networks of the fifth generation are already more and more seriously deploying their potential for the development of the industry. I congratulate the participants of the project for this achievement. The uninterrupted data and voice services between commercial mobile networks of the two telecoms A1 and Kosmote will create conditions for automation of transport and safer transport.

Once completed in 2025, the 5G SEAGUL project will provide uninterrupted 5G services for 450 km from Sofia to Velestino, enabling the future realization of connected and automated mobility (CAM) or autonomous cars. Connected and automated mobility will be a catalyst for improving road safety, improving traffic and reducing carbon emissions, which will overall contribute to the industrial competitiveness of Europe’s transport and mobility sectors.

In addition, the area around the Kulata-Promahon border crossing will have uninterrupted roaming, which means that users and connected cars will be able to cross the border between the two countries without any interruption to mobile services. By building the Bulgarian part of the 5G SEAGUL project, “A1-Bulgaria” will provide the benefits of uninterrupted connectivity and low time delay, which will contribute to the development of rural areas around the cross-border transport corridor.

The project started in 2023 and is due to be completed in 2025. It is funded under the Connecting Europe Facility of the European Union under the grant agreement Connecting Europe Facility – Digital (CEF-Digital) is supported and implemented by the European Health and Digital Executive Agency (HaDEA).