Russia launches 5G in 16 cities

During the initial phase, 5G services have been launched on frequencies previously allocated to mobile operators for LTE services. Telecommunications companies have also been provided with the 4.63 to 4.99 GHz frequency band for fifth-generation mobile services.

The Digital Development Ministry said the frequency band was distributed equally among relevant companies free of charge. The move is intended to maintain strong competition in the telecommunications sector and help provide 5G services to consumers at affordable rates.

The 16 cities where 5G services have initially been launched are Moscow, Tver, St. Petersburg, Novosibirsk, Yekaterinburg, Kazan, Samara, Yaroslavl, Ufa, Volgograd, Krasnoyarsk, Perm, Chelyabinsk, Veliky Novgorod, Nizhny Novgorod and Krasnodar., high-speed fifth-generation mobile internet is currently available to approximately 10 million people. Major Russian mobile and telecommunications operators MTS, Mega.

Fon, Beeline and T2 are providing 5G services to customers, although services from every operator are not yet available in all 16 cities. The ministry said all users of Android-based mobile phones would gain access to the fifth-generation network in the near future.

For i. Phone users, the availability of 5G services in Russia will depend on a decision by US technology company Apple. The heads of MTS, Mega.

Fon, Beeline and T2 welcomed the launch and highlighted the potential benefits of the new technology. MTS Director General Inessa Galaktionova called the launch a historic event, saying millions of people would gain access to high-quality digital services while businesses and organizations could adopt advanced industrial solutions based on 5G technology.

Mega. Fon CEO Khachatur Pombukhchyan said 5G would provide high-speed internet in major cities while also laying the foundation for the digital transformation of industry. Vimpel.

Com Director General and Beeline head Sergei Anokhin said the launch was an event long awaited by the telecommunications market and consumers.

He said the company had been preparing its network and customers’ mobile devices for the phased introduction of 5G.T2 Director General Anton Godovikov said the telecommunications industry, government agencies and the public had made extensive efforts to launch 5G services. He also thanked the Russian government for finding solutions to enable the fifth-generation network.

Russian Digital Development Minister Maksut Shadaev and Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Grigorenko also welcomed the launch. Shadaev said fifth-generation mobile networks provide significantly higher speeds, which are particularly important for users of advanced digital services in urban areas.

Grigorenko said the government aims to increase the share of domestically produced equipment in 5G base stations operating in Russia to 100 percent. He said communication networks must develop at a pace consistent with the growth of the digital economy while providing consumers with higher speeds and reliable connectivity.