Wireless Networks

Russia finally launches 5G in major cities

Russian mobile phone operators have launched their first commercial 5G networks across 16 major cities, according to an announcement last Friday from the country’s Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media Ministry.

The announcement follows years of regulatory disputes and, of course, Western sanctions imposed after the invasion of Ukraine.

The delays in rolling out the service are also linked to major suppliers like Nokia and Ericsson exiting Russia after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. In addition, the rollout of 5G has been complicated by the fact that the military and security services have maintained exclusive control of the 3.4-3.8 GHz frequency range used for 5G internationally. 

Operators have not been happy with this, although they are allowed to use the 4.63-4.99GHz frequency range. This, however, means iPhones will still be unable to connect to 5G in Russia since they operate at a lower frequency – unless Apple decides otherwise. The Digital Ministry has apparently said Android users will gain access to 5G “in the near future,”.

Even with working phones, mobile internet disruptions are a regular occurrence, but authorities insist they are necessary to deal with daily Ukrainian drone attacks across the country.

As independent news service The Moscow Times reports, all four of Russia’s major mobile operators have now launched 5G in Moscow, St Petersburg and Yekaterinburg. Coverage in other major cities varies by operator.

The Digital Ministry plans to extend 5G coverage to 50 more cities by the end of this year. 4G mobile networks already cover 90% of Russia’s inhabited territory.

Friday’s launch aims to bring high-speed internet access to 10 million people, officials say – and there’s clearly demand. The Moscow Times says that domestic mobile internet traffic has more than tripled in six years.



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