MINSK, 11 April (BelTA) – 4G cellular communication will become available in district capitals all over Belarus by the end of 2017, Belarusian Communications and Informatization Minister Sergei Popkov said in the BelTA press center on 11 April.
“Today 42% of the country's population has access to the 4G network. 4G cellular communication will become available in all the district capitals by the end of 2017. We will develop this technology after that in accordance with the needs of the population. If 4G is in demand in rural areas, we will introduce it there too,” Sergei Popkov noted.
The minister underlined that 4G services are in demand in Belarus. “Today the amount of data downloaded via 4G is incomparable to that of 3G. Nearly 25-30% of the users have switched to the 4G network. Although everything depends on the coverage. Instructions have been given to cover the whole country and improve service quality by the end of 2017,” Sergei Popkov remarked.
When asked whether the Belarusian mobile carrier velcom will offer 4G services, Sergei Popkov said that velcom is now in talks with the Belarusian telecommunication infrastructure operator beCloud. “This is a question of contractual relationship. I believe that the parties will find a solution satisfying both companies,” Sergei Popkov pointed out.
