Latvia, Estonia and Finland, which is not part of the alliance, are against operators near St. Petersburg using frequencies of 4.8-4.99 GHz
Russian 5G network interferes with NATO spy planes, the newspaper writes " Vedomosti " with reference to the reports of the International Telecommunication Union at the United Nations. Latvia, Estonia, and Finland, which is not a member of the alliance, objected to the use of the 4.8-4.99 GHz band by Russian operators.
NATO military aviation systems operate on the same frequencies. So the Russian base stations can interfere with the communication of European intelligence, in particular in the recognition system "friend-foe", the newspaper writes.
The closest test tower to the EU is located in Kronstadt, it belongs to MTS. A representative of the operator told Business FM that "so far, no orders have been received to stop testing at MTS" and the tower continues to operate. At the same time, its signal is too weak to create serious problems for the military, says a member of the expert council of the Military-Industrial CommissionViktor Murakhovsky.
— These are mostly far-fetched problems, since the base stations in the 5G range have relatively little power. For example, they are ten times less powerful than air defense or air control radars. They disable the state target recognition system only at a distance of 30 meters, with a power of several megawatts per square meter. As for the range of the 5G system, each country allocates its own section, there is no internationally recognized, agreed range.
- Theoretically, these countries can make it so that they do not use this range?
"They can't do that, of course. Because if, for example, you turn on the electronic suppression systems of this range, it will be a clear aggressive act.
According to the international radio regulations, countries must agree on the use of frequencies at a distance of up to 300 kilometers from their air borders and up to 450 kilometers in the case of coastal territories, Vedomosti notes.
In October last year, the Ministry of Finance reported that the frequencies of 4.8-4.99 GHz will be allocated to a single operator to create a 5G network. And everyone knew that the European military was working in this range, says the former Deputy Minister of Communications, president of the Information Democracy FoundationIlya Massukh.
— I understood that it was the border cities, such as St. Petersburg, Pskov, that would get into this story about the need for coordination with neighboring states. It seems to me that the most correct way is to convert our natural frequencies. After all, these are our military, and it's probably easier to negotiate with them. Changing the frequency, of course, entails reconfiguring the equipment, but this is exactly the reconfiguration, not the release of a new one.
— Is it possible that part of the country will have one range, and part of the territory — another?
— For technical devices, this is not a problem at all. The main thing is that it should be standardized, including at the UN level, so that there are no incidents. The story of 5G, as the last year shows, is very much politicized. If you remember, Trump dealt with Huawei, including because of 5G. Therefore, it is no wonder that when switching to new communication paradigms, policies are also included.
Earlier, telecom operators asked the Russian authorities for permission to operate 5G in the 3.4-3.8 GHz band. For example, the EU is deploying fifth-generation networks on these frequencies, and the installation of towers of such power would be cheaper for operators. But this range was occupied by the Russian special services.
There is no point in using the 4.9 GHz band to deploy 5G networks both in Russia and in the world, says Valentin Polozenko, Director of Network Infrastructure at Megafon.
Director of network infrastructure of the company "MegaFon»
"In addition to the fact that the frequency has poor coverage, a lack of operator and subscriber equipment, as well as more expensive network construction, there has long been another problem associated with the restrictions in the border band fixed in the Radio Regulations of the International Telecommunication Union. According to the decision of the 2019 World Radiocommunication Conference, the regulations include norms that finally fix the secondary nature of 5G systems in relation to the air mobile service system. Therefore, all 5G base stations in the 4.9 GHz band will have to be moved inland. This problem cannot be solved through negotiations between the communications administrations, since the secondary status is already fixed in the Radio Regulations with the consent of Russia. According to our estimates, the exclusion zone may be 500-600 kilometers from the border, which generally makes it pointless to use the 4.9 GHz band to deploy 5G networks both in Russia and in the world."
The allocated range is unsuitable for full-fledged work, says the press secretary of the operator Tele2 Daria Kolesnikova.
press secretary of the Tele2 operator
"In addition to poor coverage and lack of equipment, there is also the problem of restrictions in the border zone due to the regulations of the International Telecommunication Union. European countries, most likely Georgia and Kazakhstan, will block the operation of the 5G network in the border regions of Russia, and the regions of the Far East will definitely fall out of the 5G program. If the disputed issues are not resolved, the base station in the 4.9 Ghz band will be able to operate only in the interior of the country, at a distance of 300 kilometers by land and 450 kilometers by sea from the border. So far, we have not tested the 4.9 Ghz band, but we plan to conduct tests this year on Tverskaya Street in Moscow. Let me remind you that the only pilot zone of 5G Tele2 is deployed in the center of the capital at frequencies of 28 GHz. But we are talking about the fact that it is not suitable for 5G development in an urban environment, because any obstacle that occurs in the path of the wave creates a restriction. The maximum number of equipment available is for operation in the so — called golden band-3.4-3.8 GHz. The prospects are vague, because there is no final decision on the frequency range right now. We can't even estimate the cost of construction. We hear a lot about the fact that the regulator is leaning in favor of one or another range, but no final decision has been made."
Formally, 5G does not work in Russia yet, only test installations of towers are being tested. Commercial use of the new generation network is planned only in 2024, according to MTS. In the course of further installations of towers in the border zones, other countries, such as Ukraine, Turkey, Georgia and Azerbaijan, may make claims, Vedomosti writes. The military of these countries operate on the same frequency as the Russian 5G.