The 5G network is now operating in all regional capitals of Belarus except Hrodna. This was stated on STV by First Deputy Minister of Communications and Informatization Pavel Tkach.
“The 5G network is already operating in all regional capitals and Minsk, except for Hrodna, where some additional equipment modernization is needed. We believe it will be completed in the near future,” he said.
According to him, not all devices support the new mobile communication standard.
“It should be noted that not all mobile phones support 5G. First of all, Apple, which has restricted the use of 5G on iPhones through firmware. Samsung has also done this to some extent. However, Samsung has promised to update the firmware soon so that subscribers can experience all the advantages.
Of course, the network is still being built, developed, and fine-tuned, and different technical deployment models are being reviewed. We are monitoring how people use the 5G network. So the network is developing, there are plans, and under the investment agreement it will continue to expand,” the deputy minister added.
He acknowledged that there are still areas where even fourth-generation coverage remains problematic.
“For example, just yesterday in 89 districts of Belarus, a second carrier was launched, meaning that the 3G network capacity of MTS in 89 districts effectively doubled.
In rural areas, during the first quarter in three regions — Vitsyebsk, Mahiliou, and Homiel, in the eastern part of the country — we effectively doubled LTE network capacity. By the end of the year, we will complete the same work in the western part of the country: Hrodna, Brest, and Minsk regions. LTE capacity in the 1800 MHz range has also grown significantly. This is the network usually used in larger settlements and agro-towns. There we also increased capacity by 25% through the redistribution of radio frequency spectrum,” he said.
