A busy port's new 5G network can help cargo ships 100 miles away stay connected to the mainland

The decades-old port in Latvia has been a freeport since 2001.

Courtesy of the Freeport of Riga

• More than 2,500 ships pass through the Freeport of Riga every year.
• The port is rolling out a private 5G network to power technology like autonomous sea drones.
• This article is part of "Build IT: Connectivity," a series about tech powering better business.

In the Middle Ages, seafarers would sail down the Daugava River to take refuge from the harsh winds and waves of the Baltic Sea.