RIGA, March 20 (LETA) - Information and communication technology (ICT) service provider Bite Latvija this week completed the shutdown of its 3G network across Latvia, LETA was told at the company.

With the 3G switch-off, the freed-up frequencies will be redirected to improve the coverage, capacity and signal throughput of 4G and 5G, especially in Latvia's regions and locations where coverage was previously based on 3G, as well as on major roads. As part of the transition to newer generation networks, Bite Latvija has freed up the 900 MHz frequency band previously used for 3G.

Bite Latvija says that 3G technology in Latvia has for many years provided essential support for mobile internet and voice services, especially before the development of 4G and 5G technologies. With the development of more advanced, faster and more efficient technologies, 3G could no longer provide the necessary data transmission volume and quality.

Other Latvian operators had already discontinued the operation of their 3G networks, the company notes.

Aleksandrs Belajevs, Head of Radio Network Department at Bite Latvija, noted that this step marks the symbolic end of an entire era of technology in Latvia, in which 3G has been an essential basis for the development of mobile internet and everyday communication for more than two decades.

The company points out that the 3G switch-off in Latvia went without significant disruptions. Today, 75 percent of voice calls are made over 4G networks using VoLTE technology, while mobile internet usage is predominantly based on modern 4G and 5G solutions.

Bite Latvija reported a turnover of EUR 183.75 million in 2024, an increase of 12.5 percent compared to 2023, while its profit rose by 1 percent to EUR 33.712 million.

The company was registered in 2005 and has a share capital of EUR 44 million. Bite Latvija is wholly owned by the Lithuanian Bite group, which is owned by Providence Equity Partners, a global asset management company.