SMOLEVICHI DISTRICT, 14 January (BelTA) – It is quite possible to provide nationwide 5G coverage within five years. Belarusian Communications and Informatization Minister Konstantin Shulgan made the relevant statement during a presentation of the 5G technology in the China-Belarus industrial park Great Stone on 14 January, BelTA has learned.
No final decision has been made on when exactly the 5G rollout will begin. The official reminded that a 5G working group had been established under the Council of Ministers in order to take into account all the peculiarities the introduction of the new technology may entail. “We are going to prepare a final report in February in order to inform the head of state and approach the decision-making stage. There is also the frequency allocation procedure to consider. There may be tenders or some other options. We've worked them out,” Konstantin Shulgan explained.
In his opinion, conditions for introducing the 5G technology in Belarus are unique. Even those, who started exploring the inherent possibilities earlier, cannot scale up this technology onto the entire country yet. “Our conditions allow it. Nationwide coverage within five years is one of the options. We have such plans and we are going to work on them,” the communications and informatization minister said.
Konstantin Shulgan remarked that the introduction of the 5G technology will cost quite a lot of money, this is why investors may participate in the process. “We are talking about hundreds of millions. You understand perfectly well that it may be ineffective and wrong for the state budget to appropriate this kind of money to anyone, even such a respected company that Beltelecom is. There must be competition. We have rather strong mobile carriers. These forces have financial capabilities, which I hope will allow implementing project. We are open. You can see that Huawei participates in it. Other companies are welcome to join in,” the official said.
