Conversion was prevented on networks – Newspaper Kommersant No. 169 (7370) of 09/14/2022

The Ministry of Digital Development has begun to reallocate funds allocated in the 2022 budget for clearing frequencies for 5G for other purposes. In particular, funding can be obtained by a special center under the ministry, designed to eliminate the consequences of emergencies on communication networks. Officials explain that a number of 5G tasks are irrelevant, and it is better to use the money “for priority tasks.” Operators insist on maintaining funding for the clearing. But this process has other obstacles besides purely monetary ones. So, the plan proposed by the Ministry of Digital Development back in 2020 has not yet been signed by the president.

“Kommersant” got acquainted with the request of the Ministry of Digital Transformation for amendments to the federal project “Information Infrastructure”, sent at the end of August to the ANO “Tsifrovaya ekonomika”, FSBI “Center for Expertise and Coordination of Informatization” and the competence center for the execution of the project – Rostelecom. The document proposes to redistribute the budget allocated for the conversion of frequencies for the 5G communication standard in the amount of 34 million rubles to the development of the situational center of the Ministry of Digital Development, which deals with the elimination of the consequences of emergencies on communication networks against the backdrop of an “increasing number of requests” in 2022. In addition, the Ministry of Digital Development writes, the draft presidential decree “on approving the frequency conversion plan for the development of 5G” has not been approved. In general, it follows from the letter of the ministry, 1.3 billion rubles were allocated for frequency conversion by the end of 2022.

The Ministry of Digital Development explained to Kommersant that on the basis of the situational center a reserve platform is being created – customer technical support services, this is necessary “for the development of infrastructure, including the provision of communication services to provide access to socially significant objects.” The ministry assured that plans for the development of 5G are maintained. In Rostelecom, Kommersant was told that the competence center received the letter and asked for the opinion of the operators. “We will send the position of the industry to the working group,” they said.

The frequency conversion plan for 5G was planned to be presented to the president as early as 2020, in accordance with the roadmap of the Ministry of Digital Development, the conversion should affect the 2.3-2.4 GHz, 4.8-4.99 GHz and 24-29 GHz bands., the cost of this was estimated at 7.4 billion rubles. In addition, it was supposed to transfer frequencies in the 700 MHz band for the needs of 5G, which were freed up after the transition of on-air TV broadcasting from analog to digital format. Broadcasters wanted to allocate compensation in the amount of 2.1 billion rubles. But in June, these frequencies were extended for another year (see Kommersant of June 14).

Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko said at the Eastern Economic Forum in September that 4.4-4.9 GHz frequencies would be used for the development of 5G on domestic equipment in Russia. In Mintsifra Kommersant said that they revised the plan for the conversion of the spectrum and concluded that conversion is not required for 4.8–4.9 GHz, it may be required only for 4.4–4.8 GHz. “A study is underway to determine its need. If it is confirmed, funding will be redistributed. Until then, it is expedient to direct budget funds to priority tasks,” they noted.

For the development of 5G in Russia, VimpelCom, MegaFon and Rostelecom created the New Digital Solutions JV in June 2021 with equal shares in the authorized capital. In July 2022, MTS joined the joint venture. And although back in November 2021, the State Commission on Radio Frequencies (SCRF) allocated the 4.4-4.99 GHz bands to the joint venture for testing 5G technology, operators continue to insist on the need for the so-called golden band, which is chosen as a priority for 5G in most countries, and in Russia is occupied by special services.

Tele2 believes that the key for the development of 5G networks is the frequency range of 3.4-3.8 GHz, “which requires conversion, this position of the operator is supported by an analysis of the world experience in implementing fifth-generation communication technology.”

MegaFon agrees with this, they noted that in relation to the 4.4–4.9 GHz range, operators are conducting research at the direction of the State Committee for Radio Frequency Communication, “the first results will be presented at the end of December, but it is already clear that the spectrum is used by existing radio facilities , which in the case of the introduction of 5G will have to be output to other ranges. VimpelCom did not answer “Kommersant”. MTS declined to comment.

A Kommersant source in the telecommunications market notes that the industry as a whole now doubts the need to launch 5G against the background of problems with the supply of foreign equipment even for 4G, as well as the “vague prospects” for domestic production, “against this background, frequency conversion for 4G, such as the 700 MHz band, which are suitable for the standard, this will increase the capacity of the network.”

Yulia Tishina, Anastasia Gavrilyuk