Why is it necessary, important and high time to develop 5G in Kyrgyzstan?

Kyrgyzstan deserves state-of-the art technologies. Fascinating future promised by 5G’s new features is coming.

As a technological leader whose customers were the first in Kyrgyzstan to use the high-speed 4G standard, the O! mobile operator has already for a long time been ready to deploy the 5th generation telecom technology, and so has been the Kyrgyzstan’s market as the share of 5G-supporting smartphones has already exceeded 20% in regional centers.

Why is it essential to develop 5G in Kyrgyzstan and why should it have started already yesterday?

Development of telecom technologies is one of the most important factors of economic and social progress. Introducing a 5G network would bring new opportunities for society’s digital transformation, promotion of economy competitiveness, and improvement people’s living standards.

One should realize that it is who is the first to fill the niche that will take over leadership in the world of dynamic technology trend development. Kyrgyzstan has already been standing behind in introducing and implementing the 5th generation networks in the Central Asian region. Our neighbors have already allocated the radiofrequency resource to telecom providers so that they can quite successfully start building the 5th generation networks and thus provide higher-quality service and ensuring economic growth both through the development of innovative electronic commercial services and raising investments.

Recently, the Kyrgyzstan’s Ministry of Digital development reported plans to launch G-Cloud national cloud storage shortly for public service improvement. Meanwhile, Business Wire analysts believe 5G deployment to be the key driver for regional data center development in Central Asia.

5G development brings economic advantages

Studies have shown that 5G deployment may lead to GDP annual increase by 1-1.5 per cent. For Kyrgyzstan, it may imply billions of soms of extra income for the economy. The technology may conduce to creation of jobs and, therefore, reduction of unemployment rate and improvement of people’s living standards. Availability of an advanced telecom infrastructure such as 5G is a significant advantage for investment promotion. According to the global statistics forecast, the growth of new customer connections to 5G networks will reach about 5.6 billion by 2029.

Social and technological advantages

The introduction of 5G will open up new opportunities for innovation in areas such as smart cities, the Internet of Things (IoT), autonomous vehicles, and industrial automation. The 5th generation technology will help improve the efficiency of urban management and create conditions for sustainable development. 5G networks will significantly improve access to distance education and medical services. In remote areas of the country, students will be able to receive high-quality education via the Internet, and patients will be able to consult with doctors and receive remote medical care.

Geopolitical advantages

Present-day communication technologies play a key role in ensuring national security. 5G networks provide more secure and stable communication channels which is important for the prompt information exchange and coordination of government services. The development of 5G in Kyrgyzstan will also allow the country to more actively participate in international projects and initiatives related to digitalization and innovation. This will strengthen Kyrgyzstan's position in the international arena and allow for closer cooperation with other countries and international organizations.

How is it going globally?

Commercial use of 5G in neighboring Central Asian countries has already begun in Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Tajikistan. The neighbors emphasize the importance of the technology, which is already opening up new opportunities for the development of the economy, education, healthcare and other areas of life.

According to the latest reports, about 300 service providers around the world have already launched commercial 5G services. About 90 telecom providers in 64 countries have announced their intentions to launch 5G networks in the nearest future. 

5G is expected to become the dominant mobile access technology by 2028. 5G users are projected to account for 60 per cent of all mobile users by 2029.

At the same time, the popularity of 4G is declining as users continue to switch to 5G, as is already happening in African countries.

The shutdown of 2G and 3G networks continues around the world. The vast majority of service providers in Europe are currently shutting down 3G networks to reallocate the range for use with 4G and 5G networks.

Where does Kyrgyzstan stand in this new technology race?

According to experts, the load on 4G LTE networks is constantly growing and soon they will simply be unable to cope with it, which will affect the quality of people’s life.

It is obvious that it is necessary to actively work on the development of 5G infrastructure now to ensure the future prosperity and sustainable development of Kyrgyzstan.

Background: Radiofrequency auctions have successfully been held in Kyrgyzstan since 2017. The rules of such auctions are governed by the current laws. However, bidding for 5G frequencies has been regularly postponed since 2022 for unknown reasons.

Today, the Kyrgyz Republic is also creating conditions for the implementation of 5G technology. Back in January of this year, the Cabinet of Ministers issued Order No. 14-r dated January 24, which approved its Action Plan for 2024. One of the key points (clause 230) was the intention to develop wireless systems (5G) by selling the 3400-3750 MHz radio frequency resource through auctions. The deadline for implementing this provision is set for October 1, 2024, which now, in August, gives every reason to believe that an auction will be announced, the results of which will not only significantly replenish the budget, but also give a start to the implementation of the latest technological solutions.

We can only hope that the Cabinet of Ministers will implement this commitment and the country will join the mainstream of high-tech growth.