5G, russian-Style: Strange Frequencies, No Equipment, and Incompatible Smartphones

russia has solemnly announced that it may launch its first publicly available 5G networks as early as this summer. There is, however, one catch: the USA and China have been using this technology since 2019. In other words, while the world’s leading nations have spent seven years developing 5G and preparing for the next stages of digital evolution, russia has only reached the “maybe we’ll launch soon” stage.

Even more interesting is that the network will have to be launched not on the 3.4–3.8 GHz band – standard for most countries – but on the exotic 4.63–4.99 GHz frequencies. The reason is simple: the “golden” spectrum has traditionally been occupied by russian security agencies, which have no intention of giving it up. As always, the priority is not technological development, but the interests of siloviki.

But even obtaining the frequencies is just the beginning of the adventure. russian operators do not have enough equipment to operate in the new band, while the authorities require the use of predominantly domestic solutions. The problem is simply that there are not enough of these solutions.

A special surprise awaits russians with smartphones. Many devices do not support the frequencies on which russian 5G is planned to be launched. So, to access the “technology of the future”, many will have to buy a new phone. Of course, that is assuming ordinary russians will have the money for this after yet another price hike and drop in income.

As a result, by the end of 2026, 5G may be available in only four cities with populations over one million. The rest of the country will continue to use fourth-generation networks while the propaganda machine touts yet another “technological breakthrough”.

The conclusion is simple: while the rest of the world has long been cruising down the 5G motorway, russia is still trying to start the engine, searching for spare parts, and persuading everyone around that this is exactly what the path to technological leadership looks like.