The company will build the corridor called 5G SEAGUL together with several other partners.
The Bulgarian mobile operator is working with WINGS ICT solutions and COSMOTE on the project. The aim of 5G SEAGUL is to provide uninterrupted 5G and roaming connectivity along the highway between Sofia and Athens.
A1 Bulgaria says this will enable the movement of autonomous cars, improve connectivity in rural areas and provide uninterrupted roaming services between the two countries.
COSMOTE Greece will build a 5G network for a 300 km stretch of the Promahon border crossing to Velestino, while A1 will work on a section between the Sofia and Kulata border crossing, which is 173 km long.
The total budget for 5G SEAGUL is 22.5 million Bulgarian Leva (€11.5 million) of which 50% will be financed by the European Commission’s Connecting Europe Facility programme (the maximum EU Grant amount is €5,748,000). It will be implemented by 2025. A1 says the cross-border corridor will use a mixed architecture, incorporating both non-standalone 5G and a standalone 5G.
