Russia’s First 5G Networks Go Live
The networks are being rolled out first in cities with populations of more than 1 million.
Russia’s four major mobile operators have launched the country’s first commercial 5G networks as part of an order from President Vladimir Putin. The Ministry of Digital Development said in a statement that the initial rollout began in cities with populations of more than 1 million, where demand on communications infrastructure is particularly high. Overall, mobile data consumption in Russia has tripled over the past six years.
Coverage will expand gradually. Under current plans, the new service will be launched in another 50 cities by the end of the year. For now, 5G will operate on LTE frequencies previously allocated to the operators, increasing network capacity by 20% to 25%. The operators have also received additional spectrum in the 4.63–4.99 GHz range.
Experts say 5G is needed not only by individual subscribers but also by businesses to advance industrial automation, autonomous transportation and the Internet of Things.
