MINSK, 25 June (BelTA) – No problems with the quality of communications services have been registered during the 2nd European Games Minsk 2019, BelTA learned from Belarusian Communications and Informatization Minister Konstantin Shulgan.
The official said: “We have no information about incidents [of communications quality failures] during the 2nd European Games Minsk 2019.” In his words, all the complicated technical aspects were practiced during training sessions ahead of the games. The complaints the ministry and telecommunications companies received in the last few days are unrelated to the 2nd European Games Minsk 2019.
Konstantin Shulgan stressed that the quality of communications services was a high priority for him when he was appointed communications and informatization minister. “A lot of attention is paid to it, but there is no doubt that everything cannot be done right away and on the same day, because the process involves the technical improvement of the systems that provide these services. But this work goes all the time,” he assured.
Additional infrastructure was installed at 22 sport venues ahead of the 2nd European Games Minsk 2019, primarily fiber optic communications lines. About 250km of optic fiber was used in order to prepare the venues for the games. Over 400 network switches were installed.
As far as the preparation of Wi-Fi hotspots is concerned, the minister believes that Beltelecom and the ISP Delovaya Set have done a lot of work. Beltelecom deployed over 400 Wi-Fi hotspots on top of over 6,000 ones.
Mobile carriers enabled Internet access via Wi-Fi technology not only in sport venues but in all the places along the main motorways, in border checkpoints, in buses that connect Minsk and the airport, and in metro.
Extra 470 base stations were built all over the country ahead of the 2nd European Games Minsk 2019.
The communications and informatization minister pointed out that a great number of IT products were made by Belarusian developers in anticipation of the games, including the data and technology platform the games need. It comprises several units: sport telemetry, a games management system, a software and hardware complex, and technical support services.
“The most important thing is that all these things will be stay in place for our citizens to use later on. I believe it is good because it is a new step, a new level of quality and comfort,” Konstantin Shulgan concluded.
The Belarusian ISP Delovaya Set helped enable uninterrupted Wi-Fi service in the Athlete Village. The company's Director General Pavel Alekseyenko explained that the deployed infrastructure will remain in place even after the games. Those, who are going to live in the Student Village, will be able to connect to the Internet without going to the ISP's office in person. Instead they will be able to connect remotely using a special mobile app. It will be the first project of the kind in Belarus.