Business clients and large manufacturing enterprises will be the first users of the fifth-generation network.
"Obtaining the first 5G license in Russia is a historic moment for the industry. We are now one step closer to a new era in the history of communication, digitization and the development of new IT products. For MTS, the fifth-generation technologies are an important tool for more active development of the new eco-system, primarily in the field of automation projects for business users", MTS President Alexey Kornya said, as quoted in the company's statement.
Connectivity to 5G networks in the Commonwealth of Independent States region will reach up to 54 million people by 2025, the GSM Association (GSMA), the trade body that represents mobile network operators globally, said in 2019.
By late 2018, the CIS region had 235 million unique 4G mobile subscribers, with Russia, Ukraine and Uzbekistan accounting for 80 percent of the saturation. The report highlights the need for policymakers to actively invest into 5G networks in the region to harness business opportunities, growth and transformation of traditional industries in the digital technology and mobile sector.