At a time when residents in parts of Latvia are receiving cell broadcast alerts about potential security risks ever more frequently, 89% of residents believe it is essential for the state to identify and respond to unauthorised drone activity in good time, particularly near the borders and at critical infrastructure facilities, according to survey data from electronic communications and ICT services provider “Bite Latvija” and research company “Norstat”. This confirms that there is a high level of public awareness of the importance of timely notification, monitoring and coordinated response in a range of security situations, in which a stable communications infrastructure plays a significant role.

In the survey, the overwhelming majority of residents noted that, in their view, cell broadcast alerts are most useful in civil protection emergencies – including drone or other military threats, chemical accidents or evacuation situations, cited in 77% of cases overall – as well as in natural and environmental hazards, such as storms, floods or ice, cited in 62% of cases. Mentioned less often were situations such as searches for missing persons – 29% of cases, for example when a child, an elderly person or a person with health problems has gone missing – and traffic or infrastructure emergencies – 21% of cases, for example major road traffic accidents or power or communications outages. Other emergency situations, such as public safety threats, health risks and the like, were noted in 35% of responses.

Precise time synchronisation provided by GPS is critical to the cell broadcast system, because mobile network base stations have to operate in step to within microsecond accuracy so that messages reach every user in a given area at the same moment. Since the start of the full-scale war in Ukraine, GPS interference has become a frequent feature of electronic warfare, affecting not only Ukraine but the wider European region, including Latvia. This means that interference can also affect the synchronisation of telecommunications infrastructure and, consequently, the reliability of the cell broadcast system precisely in those situations where it matters most.

In July last year, the Ministry of the Interior introduced the cell broadcast system. Bite was actively involved in rolling out this technology on the Latvian network, providing the necessary technical infrastructure and carrying out intensive testing of the solution in close cooperation with state institutions. “Today, the resilience of communications and digital infrastructure is no longer merely a matter of technology or business – it has become an essential foundation of national security and civil protection. That is why the ability to identify technological risks in good time and to keep critical infrastructure running without interruption is particularly important. Drawing on previous experience in areas including Liepāja and the sea area, where GPS signal interference has been observed in individual cases, Bite has also implemented preventive technical measures – optimising the placement of GPS signal receivers and the positioning of base station equipment in order to reduce the potential impact of external interference on network operation,” emphasises Aleksandrs Beļajevs, head of the radio network department at “Bite Latvija”.

In addition, to strengthen Latvia's ability to identify and monitor potential threats in good time, “Bite Latvija” this year put forward a national initiative, “A national counter-drone sensor network based on critical infrastructure operators”. Its aim is to build closer cooperation between the state, security institutions and infrastructure operators, using existing masts, data transmission networks and power supply infrastructure to develop an effective and financially sustainable security system.

Alongside this, “Bite Latvija” has for more than 20 years invested consistently in the development of Latvia's communications infrastructure, investing more than 200 million euros in total and channelling a further 20 million euros or so into network development each year. These investments are aimed not only at extending coverage, but also at strengthening network resilience, cyber security, backup capacity and the ability to keep communications running in situations of heightened risk and in crises.

The survey was carried out from 12 to 21 May 2026 by electronic communications and ICT services provider “Bite Latvija” in cooperation with research agency “Norstat Latvija”. It involved 1001 respondents aged between 18 and 74.