Ministry of Digital Transformation: When will 5G be available in Ukraine?

Before conducting the auction and launching 5G, it is necessary to establish a legal foundation, including:

• Amending Article 254 of the Tax Code to allow operators to pay rent for using Ukraine's radio frequency spectrum.
• Calculating the initial value for 1 MHz at the auction and updating Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 433 of May 2, 2023, on the fees for issuing, amending, and extending licenses for using the radio frequency spectrum, and developing appropriate auction conditions for obtaining licenses, etc.

"In 2023, the Ministry established in the Frequency Allocation Plan for Ukraine that the frequency ranges designated for the further implementation of 5G are 703–723 MHz, 758–778 MHz, 3400–3800 MHz, and 24.25–27 GHz. The Ministry is currently coordinating changes to this Plan regarding the issuance of licenses to mobile operators in the 3400-3800 MHz range for a 5G pilot project," said Stanislav Prybytko, Director of the Electronic Communications Directorate at the Ministry of Digital Transformation.

With the onset of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, the full launch of 5G has been postponed until the end of martial law.

"To launch the technology, scientific research must be conducted and approval from the General Staff obtained, as 5G uses frequencies that could potentially interfere with military operations. All of this can only be done after the end of martial law," Prybytko explained.

Mobile operators' equipment already supports fifth-generation mobile communication. However, for a full launch, mobile operators will need to upgrade base stations to deploy 5G.