5G technology is key to Serbia’s economic recovery

The high speeds, low latency, security and processing of large amounts of data offered by 5G technology will help expand the capabilities of “Industry 4.0” for companies and the business and public sector, as it will offer a full range of unique uses of the latest generation and encourage innovation.
What are Ericsson’s plans for the development of the 5G network in Serbia and the region?
With around 150 commercial contracts and 94 active 5G networks in 45 countries, Ericsson is one of the world leaders in 5G technology. Ericsson is one of the leaders in 5G technology in Serbia as well, because in 2018, we were the first to demonstrate 5G technology, when, in cooperation with Telekom Serbia, we achieved an incredible speed of 27 Gbps. 5G technology is key to Serbia’s economic recovery, as it also brings short-term benefits and lays the groundwork for future innovation. We are constantly and consistently investing in Serbia in order to fulfill the plans for setting up our clients’ 5G network.
We recently announced the opening of a new Center for the Realization of Digital Services (DSSD) in Belgrade, which will further accelerate the development of the 5G system in Serbia. This new center will deal with network virtualization and cloud-based 5G networks, bringing benefits to the global 5G ecosystem and relying on Ericsson’s existing cooperation with mobile operators in Serbia.
What are the benefits of the 5G network for the business community?
5G is an extremely flexible, open innovative platform that can accelerate the digital transformation and economic growth of Serbia. The high speeds, low latency, security and processing of large amounts of data that this technology offers will help expand the capabilities of “Industry 4.0” for companies and business and public sector, as it will offer a full range of unique uses of the latest generation and encourage innovation. Ericsson is already demonstrating the power of these revolutionary technologies in real production operations, including Audi’s automatic control (AGV) vehicles, which enable secure human-robot collaboration, as well as a private secure 5G network, with data speeds in gigabits and almost in real latent time, in the “Factory 56” of Mercedes Benz in Germany, which enables intelligent connection of production systems and machines.
You put a lot of effort into cooperation with domestic educational institutions. How satisfied are you with the talents from Serbia?
From the very beginning, we in Serbia are committed to the employment of young engineers and graduates, with a focus on gender equality through the development of digital and professional knowledge of women and girls. Since 2019, we have been cooperating with the Faculty of Electrical Engineering of the University of Belgrade on the “Partner of the Department” project. The goal is to support the further development and improvement of the quality of higher education, scientific research and professional development of young engineers at the faculty. We are currently training final year students from domestic universities who work at Ericsson at the same time and thus gain invaluable experience and expertise in the latest mobile technologies.
What is needed to encourage and expand the business of international companies in Serbia?
The state is making great efforts to improve the business environment in the country. Serbia has managed to cope with the global economic recession and the crisis better than most countries in the region, which confirms the resilience of its economy. We would welcome a reduction in the number of fees to be paid, a simplification of the international trade process and a reduction in the time required to implement contracts, said Antonio Pasarela, Ericsson General Manager for Serbia, BiF reports.