4G launch to improve Belarus’ standing in ICT Development Index

The launch of the 4G technology will allow Belarus to improve its standing in the International Telecommunication Union’s ICT Development Index, BelTA learned from Sergei Poblaguyev, Director General of the joint venture Belarusian Cloud Technologies (beCloud trademark), on 17 December.

The beCloud head said that the availability of services, in particular, mobile broadband Internet access, is one of the components in the development index of information and communication technologies. “The speed, at which this kind of communication is made available, is also a factor. The deployment of the LTE network will certainly help Belarus rise higher in this list,” said Sergei Poblaguyev.

BelTA reported earlier that Belarus is ranked 36th in the ITU’s 2015 Global ICT Development Index. In the last five years Belarus went up by 14 positions in this ranking. Within one year the country improved its standing by 2 points and is now ranked 36th. Belarus is ahead of Russia (45th) and Kazakhstan (58th).

The first telecommunication infrastructure operator beCloud launched the LTE Advanced network in Minsk as a commercial service on 17 December. Now Minsk residents and visitors will be able to enjoy fourth-generation mobile communication services. The 4G network has been built by the joint venture Belarusian Cloud Technologies (beCloud).

In the initial deployment phase of the LTE Advanced network in Minsk 4G coverage will be enabled by 150 base stations. The 4G technology will be made available in the other oblast capitals — Brest, Vitebsk, Gomel, Grodno and Mogilev — in 2016. By 2020 the 4G coverage will be expanded to district capitals and other communities with the number of residents at least as large as 50,000 people.