5G communication in Ukraine: what will it be like and where will it be the first to work
29 May 2024 15:48
For the first time in Ukraine, Vodafone has launched 5G in a test mode, according to Mykhailo Fedorov, Minister of Digital Transformation of Ukraine. On Monday, 27 June, Vodafone’s office in Kyiv and Nokia’s office in Helsinki made a 5G call to check the quality of communication. The teleconference was successful, reports "Komersant Ukrainian".
5G managed to transmit sound and images without delay, ensuring the synchronisation of the speech. At these locations, participants whose phones and tablets support 5G could connect and test the technology, which is open to consumer gadgets.
What is 5G?
5G is qualitatively different from 4G in terms of data transmission speed. While Ukrainians whose smartphones work with the 4G standard can receive and transmit data at a speed of 10 Mbps, for 5G users this figure reaches 100 Mbps.
How 5G works
5G is a new generation of internet. For its full launch, it will be necessary to free up the radio frequencies used by the network. The 5th generation connection provides Internet speeds of up to 1-2 Gbps.
This allows people to drive vehicles in real time, study weather conditions in detail, and coordinate the actions of thousands of AI car drivers.
Where 5G will be launched in Ukraine
5G was supposed to be fully operational in 2022, but the Russian-Ukrainian war prevented this from happening. Therefore, the head of the relevant ministry, Mykhailo Fedorov, postponed the date of the pilot launch to 2024, which took place on Monday, 27 June. On that day, 5G connected three cities: Kyiv, Ivano-Frankivsk and Helsinki.
However, the local rollout of 5G in Ukraine has faced problems, as the hostilities have affected the technical equipment needed to switch to this standard. In order to “cover” the whole of Ukraine with 5G, it is necessary to conduct relevant research and obtain permission from the General Staff. This is only possible after martial law is lifted in Ukraine.
Nevertheless, the Ministry of Digital Transformation toldChannel 24journalists that they are considering a test launch of 5G in some Ukrainian cities. However, the ministry keeps the specific locations secret.
There is another nuance to the launch of the 5G data standard in Ukraine. As telecommunications expert Oleksandr Glushchenko explained during a national telethon, 5G mobile communications are needed primarily for industries and technologies such as self-driving cars and aircraft. For household users, almost nothing will change.
