Abstract
The coronavirus pandemic and the measures to curb it persuaded humanity of the crucial importance of the telecommunications industry for the functioning of society. The need to strengthen the existing telecommunication networks and facilities and to build new ones becomes inevitable. In 2020 two of the leading telecoms in Bulgaria managed to launch 5G networks despite postponed frequency tenders. This research is a case study of the process of building 5G telecommunications networks in Bulgaria, against the background of the unfolding global COVID-19 pandemic. The author claims that COVID-19 related restrictions do not cause a significant delay in the entry of innovations on the telecommunication market in Bulgaria. Alongside with the EU Strategies and Plans, it can be perceived as an accelerator for the development of 5G networks and services.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsReferences
Miteva, N.: Telecommunications companies in Bulgaria: challenges and opportunities in a social isolation environment due to COVID-19. Open J. Bus. Manag. 8, 2729–2739 (2020). https://doi.org/10.4236/ojbm.2020.86169
Deloitte Netherlands. Telecoms: Navigating COVID-19. The impact of COVID-19 on telecom operators and how they are responding. Deloitte.com (2020). https://www2.deloitte.com/nl/nl/pages/technologie-media-telecom/articles/telecoms-navigating-covid-19.html
European 5G Observatory. Quarterly Report 10 Up to December 2020. 5gobservatory.eu (2020). http://5gobservatory.eu/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/90013-5G-Observatory-Quarterly-report-10.pdf
European Commission. 5G for Europe: An Action Plan [Communication], 14 September 2016. Europa.eu. (2016). https://ec.europa.eu/transparency/regdoc/rep/1/2016/EN/1-2016-588-EN-F1-1.PDF
European Commission. Connectivity for a European Gigabit Society [Brochure], 23 September 2019. Europa.eu. (2019). https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/library/connectivity-european-gigabit-society-brochure
European Commission. State of the Union: Commission calls on Member States to boost fast network connectivity and develop joint approach to 5G rollout [Press release], 18 September 2020. Europa.eu. (2020). https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/IP_20_1603
European Commission. Digital Technologies – Actions in Response to Coronavirus [Strategy], 26 February 2021. Europa.eu. (2021). https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/content/digital-technologies-actions-response-coronavirus-pandemic
Eurostat. Telecommunications employment rose in Q2 2020 [Products Eurostat News], 15 December 2020. Europa.eu. (2020). https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/products-eurostat-news/-/ddn-20201215-1
International Telecommunication Union. Guide to Develop a Telecommunicaions/ ICT Contingency Plan for a Pandemic Response. Itu.int. (2020a). https://www.itu.int/dms_pub/itu-d/opb/hdb/D-HDB-GUIDELINES.03-2020-PDF-E.pdf
International Telecommunication Union. Economic Impact of COVID-19 on Digital Infrastructure [Report of an Economic Experts Roundtable organized by ITU], June 2020. Itu.int. (2020b). https://www.itu.int/dms_pub/itu-d/opb/pref/D-PREF-EF.COV_ECO_IMPACT-2020-PDF-E.pdf
Communications Regulation Commission. Radiospectrun Assignment in 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, 2100 MHz, 2.6 GHz и 3.6 GHz. Crc.bg (n.d.). https://crc.bg/bg/statii/840/razpredelenie-na-radiochestoten-spektyr-v-obhvati-900-m-hz-1800-m-hz-2100-m-hz-2-6-g-hz-i-3-6-g-hz. (in Bulgarian)
Communications Regulation Commission. Decisions# 262, 263/16 July 2020, Decision#350/24 September 2020. Crc.bg. (2020a). https://crc.bg/bg/rubriki/241/reshenija-na-krs. (in Bulgarian)
Communications Regulation Commission. Fee Tarrif (as of 1 January 2021). Crc.bg. (2020b). https://crc.bg/files/Tarifa%20taksi%202020.pdf. (in Bulgarian)
Arnaudov, J.: Bulgaria and 5G – Sooner Than You Think. Thechtrends.bg, 16 June 2019 (2019a). https://www.techtrends.bg/2019/06/16/5g-bulgaria-analysis/. (in Bulgarian)
Arnaudov, J.: The Spectrum Release So Difficult to Attain. Thechtrends.bg, 7 October 2019. (2019b). (in Bulgarian)
Botchevska, Victoria: At Second Reading: Simplified Mode for Upgrading Telecom Base Stations. 24chasa.bg/News, 1 July 2020. (2020). https://www.24chasa.bg/novini/article/8763251. https://www.techtrends.bg/2019/10/07/frequency-freedom-bulgaria-4094/. (in Bulgarian)
VIVACOM. 5G Now in Bulgaria by Vivacom. Vivacom.bg. https://www.vivacom.bg/bg/5g. (in Bulgarian)
Acknowledgments
This research has been developed within the framework of the Programme “Young Scientists and Post Docs” of the Bulgarian Ministry of Education and Science.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2022 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this paper
Cite this paper
Miteva, N. (2022). COVID-19 Pandemic as an Impetus for Development of 5G Networks in Bulgaria: A Case Study. In: Ahram, T., Taiar, R. (eds) Human Interaction, Emerging Technologies and Future Systems V. IHIET 2021. Lecture Notes in Networks and Systems, vol 319. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-85540-6_82
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-85540-6_82
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-030-85539-0
Online ISBN: 978-3-030-85540-6
eBook Packages: EngineeringEngineering (R0)