In Lviv, the commercial implementation of 5G is set to begin. Following the completion of testing, this city will be the first to launch cutting-edge communication technologies.
This was announced by Kostiantyn Vecher, the business development director at “Kyivstar,” during the Spring Business Forum, according to information from “Tvoe Misto”.
“Kyivstar” plans to be one of the first operators to implement the new network and is currently conducting preliminary testing in coordination with state authorities.
“We are on the brink of transitioning from 4G to 5G. Testing has already taken place in Kyiv at our site. Other countries have long adopted this technology, and we are just starting in Ukraine,” — noted Vecher.
According to him, “Kyivstar” has agreed with the Ministry of Digital Transformation that Lviv will be the first city for the commercial launch of 5G after the testing phase.
“We are at a stage where all tests must be coordinated with the state as part of a comprehensive plan to transition to the new technology, which should be supported by the entire telecommunications industry,” — added Vecher.
In 2024, the government approved changes to the regulations regarding the use of radio frequencies and initiated a pilot 5G project in three cities of Ukraine. Minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov emphasized that the pilot project will last for two years and will be divided into two phases. During the trials, they will check whether the 5G equipment affects military networks. According to Fedorov, this is one of the key steps toward the full launch of 5G in Ukraine, which is planned to be completed by 2030.
What to know about 5G
5G — is a new generation of mobile internet that promises significantly higher data transmission speeds, better stability, and wider coverage. It is ten times faster than 4G.
In 2021, Ukraine launched a testing zone for the 5G Lab, a joint project of the Ministry of Digital Transformation, Vodafone Ukraine, Huawei Ukraine, and UNIT.City.
On August 4, 2021, the Cabinet postponed the tender for the issuance of licenses for the use of 5G radio frequencies to February 2022 due to a lack of funding for research on the cost of radio frequency resources in the 700 MHz and 3400-3800 MHz bands for the implementation of this type of communication.
In October 2023, Ukraine and Latvia signed a memorandum for cooperation on 5G implementation.
At the end of May 2024, Ukraine launched 5G technology for the first time in a testing mode. This was tested by the telecommunications company Vodafone.
