The Ministry of Statistics of Russia expects that the 3G communication standard will continue to work in the country’s major cities until 2025, and in the regions – until 2027. Previously, it was planned to complete the full transition to 4G already by 2025. The reason for this is the departure of equipment suppliers and a slowdown in the replacement of devices by customers on 3G.
Dmytro Tura, Director of the Telecommunications Market Regulation Department of the Ministry of Statistics, in his report at the “Spectrum-2022” forum, noted that the disconnection of 3G communication networks in large cities will begin in 2025, and in the regions – in 2027. At the same time, other countries have already started disable this standard, for example, in the Czech Republic and Germany this process started in 2021, and in the USA and Italy – in 2022.
Previously, Russian operators planned to start disconnection in 2023. In July, Beeline already began to abandon the communication standard in Moscow and the Moscow region – this was reported in the Community. Now Vimpelcom clarifies that 3G remains to support communication “where it is necessary, but in a much smaller volume.”
The merchant reports that Megafon is gradually reforming the frequencies, but there is no information about the deadlines yet. The mobile operator associates this with a large number of devices operating in the network with 3G support. Tele2 is also not ready to name the last dates due to difficulties with the availability of network equipment.
At the same time, MForum analyst Oleksiy Boyko connects this postponement with an attempt to synchronize this process with the start of production of Russian 4G equipment. This, in turn, will contribute to the expansion of the bandwidth of these networks.
Earlier, the Ministry of Digitization opened voting on Internet connection in small settlements of Russia. Residents of towns and villages with a population of 100 to 500 people will be able to take part in it. As a result, by 2023, high-speed 4G mobile internet will be connected as a priority to 1,800 settlements that will receive the most votes.
