The Port of Klaipėda has begun testing a private 5G network for terminal automation, adding Lithuania's principal Baltic gateway to a short list of European ports evaluating dedicated cellular infrastructure for cargo handling.

The pilot, first reported by Port Technology, targets the digital transformation of the port's container and bulk terminals. Specific deployment details — including the equipment vendor, the spectrum arrangement and the timeline for any commercial conversion — were not disclosed at the time of writing.

Klaipėda is Lithuania's largest seaport and a transshipment hub for the eastern Baltic, handling containers, ro-ro cargo, LNG and offshore wind components. A private 5G layer would give the port authority dedicated connectivity independent of the country's public mobile networks, a step that ports in Hamburg, Rotterdam, Antwerp and Tyne have already taken.

Why ports are turning to private 5G

Container terminals concentrate three workloads that public mobile networks struggle to support reliably:

• Ship-to-shore cranes need low-latency uplink for remote operation
• Autonomous guided vehicles require predictable handovers across a yard
• Computer-vision systems inspecting containers and detecting damage demand sustained throughput per camera

A private 5G deployment addresses each of these. The network runs on spectrum reserved for the site, isolating traffic from consumer handsets and from public internet congestion. Core network functions stay on-premises, often co-located with terminal operations centres. The operator can configure guaranteed service levels for latency, throughput and device density — metrics that commercial operators do not commit to in service-level agreements.

Regulatory context in Lithuania

Lithuania's spectrum policy is set by the Communications Regulatory Authority (RRT) under the European Union's electronic communications code. The regulator has issued test licences for industrial 5G use in recent years, and the country's three mobile operators — Telia Lithuania, Tele2 and Bite — have all demonstrated private network capabilities in ports, factories and logistics sites. The Klaipėda trial most likely runs under a temporary authorisation, similar to arrangements in other EU member states where national regulators have set aside portions of the 3.4–3.8 GHz band for local industrial networks.

What the trial needs to prove

Industry benchmarks for the workloads Klaipėda is targeting are well established:

• Remote crane control typically requires sub-10-millisecond uplink latency
• Video analytics for container inspection need sustained 20–50 Mbps per camera
• Asset tracking across a multi-square-kilometre yard can require connectivity for tens of thousands of sensors simultaneously

Whether the trial delivers those numbers consistently will determine whether it converts from a test licence to a commercial rollout.

Vendor landscape

The private 5G market for industrial sites is dominated by the major network equipment vendors — Nokia, Ericsson and Huawei — which offer full radio-and-core stacks. Specialist integrators including Athonet (now part of HPE), Celona and Mavenir compete in the core segment, often pairing their software with radio gear from one of the big three. Ports typically engage systems integrators to plan coverage, backhaul and edge computing rather than buying equipment directly.

What comes next

If the pilot meets the latency and throughput targets the port authority has set, the next step is a commercial procurement, likely in 2026. The outcome will be watched by other Baltic ports, several of which have expressed interest in private 5G but have not yet committed to a deployment. Lithuania's broader 5G spectrum auction, delayed from earlier plans, will also shape the framework under which any private network at Klaipėda operates long term.