Rostelecom, MegaFon to set up JV to develop 5G in Russia by 2019

MOSCOW, Dec 21 (PRIME) -- Russian state-controlled telecom operator Rostelecom and large mobile operator MegaFon will establish a joint venture by 2019 to get ready for creation of 5G networks in the country, MegaFon’s top managers told reporters late on Thursday.

“We have not set up a joint venture yet, but we’ll do it until the end of the year. It’s a technical matter. We’ve voted for doing it,” MegaFon Chief Operating Officer Anna Serebryanikova said.

MegaFon CEO Gevork Vermishyan said that the joint venture’s task at the first stage will not be construction of a single network, but cooperation with the regulator on liberation of the most attractive frequency range for 5G, which is 3.4–3.8 GHz.

Unlike countries with big manufacturers of equipment, this frequency range in Russia is occupied by lots of other users, not telecom operators. “This is why the industry needs a single negotiator, a single moderator for the talks with the regulator on issues of conversion, a liberated range, conditions of common use and so forth. It is the main task of this operator, and it will focus on it in the nearest time,” the CEO said.

MegaFon and Rostelecom welcome other operators to join their initiative.

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