Company briefs - 2011-06-09

In what seems to be a conflict of interest for the airline chief, Bertolt Flick, together with Bank Snoras, Lithuania’s fourth-biggest bank by assets, are said to be considering investing in a new Lithuanian airline. Flick and Snoras’s representatives met with Arturas Zuokas, mayor of the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius, to discuss the investment on June 1, the Vilnius municipality said in a statement on its Web site, reports Bloomberg. Flick is currently employed as chairman of Latvia’s state-owned national airline, airBaltic. The Latvian state owns 52.6 percent airBaltic, with Baltic Aviation Systems Ltd., controlled by Flick, owning 47.2 percent of shares.

As of May 31, the mobile communications operator Latvijas Mobilais Telefons (LMT) is offering fourth-generation (4G) mobile communication technology on a commercial basis, reports Nozare.lv. The first 4G base stations are located in Jurmala. Further development of the 4G network will continue parallel to the development of the 3G network. The 3G network is currently accessible in 80 percent of Latvia’s territory. The new technology provides for mobile Internet speeds of up to 100 megabits per second. LMT President Juris Binde says “This is an opportunity for existing and potential LMT clients to use the latest mobile communication technologies, which may also encourage new business and recreation ideas in the future.” Telecommunication companies Tele2 and Baltkom have also conducted 4G tests this year.

The Estonian Information Technology and Telecommunications Union (ITU) study in May indicated that there is higher shortage of IT staff in the Estonian labor market than thought, reports National Broadcasting. According to the study, the IT sector needs staff for all fields: from analysts and programmers to project managers. 1,745 suitable specialists would find jobs at once and in three years time 6,500 more people would find jobs. ITU President Taavi Kotka said that together with the arrival of the euro and economic growth, demand for specialists has increased considerably, though several large Scandinavian companies thinking of moving their development centers to Estonia cannot find enough staff. With additional people, the ICT sector’s additional value could grow by 267 million euros in three years.