By the end of 2016, 3G communication is planned to cover 97% of Belarus's territory, as reported by Dmitry Korzun, Head of the Radio Frequency Spectrum and Orbital Frequency Resource Sector of the Ministry of Communications, during a round table "Regulation of the Telecommunication Industry" held at the exhibition "TIBO-2016", according to a BELTA correspondent.
"Our operators velcom and MTS have already launched the UMTS-900 technology. By the end of this year, as they declare, the 3G service will be provided across 97% of Belarus's territory. Currently, it covers 53-54% of the territory," noted Dmitry Korzun.
The Head of Sector emphasized that the life:) operator has not yet applied to the State Commission for Radio Frequencies. "They can also obtain permission to use the UMTS-900 standard any day, but we operate on an application basis," he explained.
The UMTS-900 technology has several significant advantages compared to the UMTS-2100 standard, which is more traditional for Belarusian 3G networks. Base stations operating in the 900 MHz range cover larger areas more effectively. According to research and implemented projects in other countries, the coverage area provided by a UMTS-900 base station is three times larger than that covered by a UMTS-2100 base station.
In addition, due to the low frequency, the signal attenuates much less due to landscape features and penetrates much better into indoor premises. Thus, UMTS-900 standard equipment is suitable for providing quality 3G coverage not only in rural areas but also in cities with dense and high-rise buildings.
MTS and Velcom received permission to use the UMTS-900 standard from the State Commission for Radio Frequencies in December last year.
The international specialized exhibition "TIBO-2016" is taking place in Minsk from April 19 to 22. It is attended by over 100 companies from 18 countries (Belarus, Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, Czech Republic, Germany, Finland, Sweden, Great Britain, Turkey, China, Republic of Korea, Japan, USA). It is held during the international specialized forum on telecommunications, information and banking technologies "TIBO-2016".