Latvia to introduce national mobile roaming for crisis situations

The Latvian Cabinet of Ministers has reviewed amendments to the Electronic Communications Law aimed at introducing national roaming regulations to ensure mobile service availability during crises. The plan, proposed by the Ministry of Transport, is intended to allow users to automatically switch to another operator's network if their primary provider experiences significant disruptions or damage.

Scheduled to take effect on July 1, 2027, the measure is part of a broader resilience plan developed by the Ministry of Transport, LVRTC, TET, and mobile operators. Transport Minister Rihards Kozlovskis stated that the initiative follows recent storms that caused extensive damage and communication outages. The goal is to enhance civil protection, facilitate emergency communication, and mitigate public panic or disinformation.

Under the proposed regulations, roaming would only be activated during crisis management measures. To prevent network congestion, the roaming mode will prioritize voice calls and SMS services, while data transmission services may be restricted.