The Ministry of Digital Development is discussing the issue of providing telecom operators with the frequencies they need to implement 5G services without charging a fee, said the Minister of Digital Development Maksut Shadayev.

“Since we use the 4.8-4.9 GHz band, which requires a much higher base station installation frequency than in the classic 3.4-3.5 GHz band, we have now come up with the initiative to cancel the spectrum fee,” Shadayev said.

In December, it was reported that the State Commission on Radio Frequencies intends to expand the range for 5G networks in million-plus cities. Separate 4.4-4.8 GHz bands were added for testing.

Original (in Russian)