First super-fast 5G network launched in Russia

Russian telecom operator MTS has announced that some of its customers will be able to access the company’s first 5G network in more than a dozen areas around the Russian capital.

The ultra-fast network is set to cover such popular Moscow sites as Gorky Park, an area around Moscow State University (MSU), as well as the Moscow City International Business Center among others. 5G coverage includes a total of 14 zones, and is set to be further expanded in the near future, according to MTS. A similar network covering around 10 areas will be launched in St. Petersburg this summer.

“After multiple tests and trial versions in the 5G area, our company has launched the first mass-scale pilot fifth-generation network in Russia, which is available to thousands of our clients in real-life conditions,” MTS President Alexey Kornya said on Friday as cited by the media.

The new-generation network will enable users to download data with speeds up to 1.5 gigabits per second. It means that an average film (with a file size of around 10 gigabytes) can be downloaded in less than one minute. Apart from fast mobile internet, in the future 5G networks are meant to help to develop the transport system and improve security in the city, MTS said. 

However, not all MTS customers can try the 5G network. The operator plans to send invitations to some of its clients when they are close to one of the 5G zones. 

Russia aims to become one of the leading 5G countries globally as it wants to roll out the super-fast network in at least ten big cities by 2024, business daily RBC earlier reported. According to the plan, five million people will be able to access the network by that time. In less than a decade, by 2030, more than a third of the Russian population is expected to switch to 5G, with the user base set to increase tenfold and reach 50 million people.

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