Next generation: Russia to start planning for introduction of 6G, despite still facing 5G challenges

5G may not yet be ubiquitous, but Russia is already working towards the next step in cellular network technology – 6G. The tech could be available as early as 2028, with potential speeds of up to 100 times faster than at present.

Speaking to news agency TASS, Minister of Industry and Trade Denis Manturov explained that Russia’s 6G plans are currently at an initial stage. The country is still in the process of developing its 5G network, with the technology not yet part of the nationwide mobile network system. Russian companies still need between one and three years to find workable domestic solutions for the fifth generation of cellular tech.

Last September, Russian Deputy Communications Minister Oleg Ivanov said that the country should start developing 6G networks now, without waiting for 5G.

Russian technology companies are facing significant issues with the implementation of 5G, as the country’s Ministry of Telecom and Mass Communications has been locked in negotiations for three years with the Ministry of Defense over the allocation of the 3.4-3.8 GHz band, considered most suitable for 5G. This frequency range is currently reserved by the Defense Ministry for military and intelligence services.

In July, Russian network provider Mobile TeleSystems (MTS) became the first Russian company to receive a license to provide 5G services, operating on the 24.25–24.65 GHz frequency band, which the company’s President Alexey Kornya called “one step closer to a new era in the history of communications.”

Like this story? Share it with a friend!