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Telecom
December 2018 www.intellinews.com I Page 25
Shift to mobile broadband
Russia was one of the first countries in the region to launch 4G in 2012, notes the report. “4G cover- age and network quality remain key competitive factors in the Russian market, with all four of the main operators launching LTE-Advanced net- works in recent years.”
4G networks will account for over a half of con- nections by early 2022, predicts the report, up from one fitfth at the end of 2018.
Mobile broadband will progress fast at the region- al level, too, with “4G overtaking 2G as a propor- tion of connections in early 2020, and becoming the leading mobile technology in 2021.” 4G will account for nearly two-thirds of total connections by 2025, the GSMA analysts believe.
5G will follow fast, with “network launches ex- pected in Russia from around the end of 2020 [and] more than 80% of the Russian population covered by 2025.” The report sees enhanced mo- bile broadband (eMBB) as a likely initial focus in Russia, which will increase capacity and speeds for mobile Internet access.
5G services are also expected to be launched in Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia and Uzbekistan by 2025, according to the report.
There are several ways in which policy and regu- lation may be used to accelerate 5G rollout in the region. These include “the timely availability of harmonised spectrum at a suitable price; new approaches to supervise network development; updates to network architecture regulation; and the introduction of legislation covering network neutrality and data collection,” write the GSMA experts.
“The implementation of 5G networks should be considered by regulators as not just a new techni- cal advancement for the telecoms industry, but
as a condition for delivering the digital economy and to drive the transformation of industries. With such a mindset, the regulation of the mobile in- dustry should shift from controlling and supervis- ing the industry to fostering its development,” the report recommends.
Revenues
“Despite ongoing competitive pressures, relatively low smartphone adoption and relatively low pric- ing, service revenue trends have been improv-
ing in recent quarters, with revenues growing in the low single digits (largely below the level of in ation),” notes GSMA.
However, “beyond 2019, growth in real terms is forecast to remain subdued at a rate of less than
Smartphone, 4G and 5G evolutions in Russia and neighboring countries (2017-2025)
Excludes licensed cellular IoT