Trials of a private 5G network at Klaipėda Port in Lithuania have concluded successfully, marking a significant milestone in the port’s digital development.
Sources indicated on 9 October 2026 that Santa Monica Networks and Latvian provider LMT (LMT Group) have completed the comprehensive design phase for a potential port-wide private network and demonstrated concrete, practical applications directly to the port company.
The design phase and trial demonstration form part of Klaipėda Port’s wider effort to define its digital future and test infrastructure that could be scaled across the terminal estate. The partners say the work was intended to show how a private 5G installation could perform under real operational conditions and identify next steps for deployment.
Private 5G networks are being trialled at ports around the Baltic and beyond because they promise higher capacity, lower latency and more reliable coverage than conventional public mobile services. For port operators these characteristics are attractive where real-time control, dense device connectivity and predictable service levels are required.
Demonstrations and practical aims
According to the report, the trial included a set of live demonstrations designed to show immediate, practical uses for a private network at a working port. The demonstrations were intended to illustrate how dedicated 5G infrastructure can support digitised workflows and enhance on-site communications for operational staff and equipment.
The suppliers completed a comprehensive engineering design for the potential network, an important step that defines site architecture, radio planning and integration points with existing IT systems. That design work is a precondition for any decision to roll the service out more widely across the port.
Moving from trial to scale
Completion of design work positions Klaipėda Port to consider a staged deployment if the operator and stakeholders decide to proceed. A port-wide private network would require further testing, commercial agreements with vendors and attention to spectrum licensing and operational governance.
The report did not specify a firm timetable for any wider roll-out. It confirmed, however, that the trial and design phase constitute a concrete advance in the port’s planning for more connected operations and that partners demonstrated viable, practical use cases to the port company.
The Klaipėda initiative follows a growing pattern of ports evaluating private mobile networks as part of broader digitalisation and automation strategies. Where operators choose to adopt private 5G they must weigh capital and operating costs against expected gains in efficiency, safety and service reliability.
The successful conclusion of the trial and the completion of the design phase underline a careful, phased approach: validate performance in a controlled setting, produce a technical design that matches operational needs and then consider wider deployment. Sources indicated the developments on 9 October 2026, noting the roles of Santa Monica Networks and LMT in the programme.
If Klaipėda Port proceeds to roll out a private 5G network it would join a growing number of European terminals exploring dedicated mobile infrastructure to support modern port functions. For now, the port’s leadership and its technology partners have achieved a clear intermediate objective: turn concept into tested design and demonstrate practical capability on site.
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