The report examines the outlook for 5G in Russia and sets it against the context of 5G adoption globally. It outlines forecasts for 5G uptake in Russia and the expected economic benefits that 5G will bring to the country. The report looks in detail at which spectrum bands are most appropriate for the widest adoption of 5G, as well as how countries around the world are moving to clear and then allocate this spectrum for mobile operators to use.

• With commercial launches expected in 2021, GSMA Intelligence forecasts that 5G will account for around 43 million connections by 2025, equivalent to just under a fifth of total connections.

• Estimates from GSMA Intelligence indicate that 5G will benefit the Russian economy by more than $5.2 billion by 2025 in terms of GDP uplift, equivalent to an additional 0.3% of GDP. This will reach 0.9% by 2030.
• Modelling by GSMA Intelligence found that deploying and operating a non-standalone (NSA) 5G network between 2023 and 2030 using the 4.8 GHz band would cost Russian operators 84% more compared to using the 3.5 GHz range. This differential would be driven by three key factors: the higher densification requirement in the 4.8 GHz band requiring more greenfield cell sites; the relative immaturity of the vendor ecosystem in this band; and the higher energy consumption of the network in the 4.8 GHz band.

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