Why is today the right time to launch 5G in Kyrgyzstan?

This publication continues the discussion of a "hot" topic of recent days. In short, the launch of 5G in Kyrgyzstan would contribute to improving the quality of people’s life. In detail, this article gives answers to all the cases against. Recently, a controversy has broken out between telecom operators in Kyrgyzstan on the subject of deploying 5th generation networks. The O! Mobile Operator confidently declared its readiness to implement 5G, while other telecommunications market players expressed a cautious position regarding the timeliness of innovation, although 2 years ago the state operator was one of the first to deploy a 5G test zone, noting how important the technology was for Kyrgyzstan. President Sadyr Japarov has clearly outlined the vector for accelerating digitalization, and slowing down this process is fraught with consequences, while the timely launch of new technologies would contribute to the development of society and improve the people’s well-being. As a reminder, the Cabinet of Ministers approved the Action Plan 2024 by its Order #14-h dated January 24, 2024, to include, as a key point (p. 230), development of 5G systems by selling the 3400-3750 MHz radiofrequency resource through an auction before October 1, 2024. In mobile communications, every new generation is the next step. 5G will have to be promoted anyway, but it is essential not to be late. The O! Mobile Operator will dispel the last remaining doubts and emphasize how important it is for the new technology to be developed by those ready to do it right now. Selling 5G frequencies through auction There are market players in Kyrgyzstan who are already willing to purchase 5G frequencies and start paying substantial license fees to the state budget. Participation in the auction is not mandatory for all operators. Those who are not ready to invest in new technologies yet may not participate in the auction. This is exactly how it was done in Kazakhstan where the auction was held in spite of the fact that some telecom companies refused to participate for some reasons. Kazakhstan has been actively implementing 5G, and studies there showed an average data download speed of 70.05 Mbps by the end of 2023, which is almost 2.5 times higher than that of 4G networks. The introduction of 5G in the country has increased the average speed of mobile Internet access in the country as a whole. As a result, Kazakhstan rose 23 positions and reached the 72nd one in the Speedtest Global Index by the end of 2023 being ahead of neighboring countries such as Uzbekistan (95th place in 2023), Kyrgyzstan (100th place), and Tajikistan (141st place). Compared to previous generation networks, 5G technology not only provides high data transfer rates, lower latency and the ability to connect a large number of users, but is also more efficient for the development of the state and business. Therefore, the introduction of 5G in Kazakhstan has significantly accelerated the pace of digitalization. Infrastructure As one of the 5G opponents’ arguments states, "In practice, the 3G and 4G network leaves much to be desired. Unstable connection and low data speed are a constant problem." Objection! The data speed leaves much to be desired precisely because the 4G bandwidth is no longer sufficient, especially in large populated areas, and during evening rush hours in residential areas. The population's needs for a larger data traffic are growing, and video contents are taking up an ever-increasing share of all traffic. Just think about it: each customer of a mobile operator in Kyrgyzstan consumes more than 30 gigabytes of traffic per month o average, and this figure is growing rapidly.

15:59

In order for providers to cope with such traffic growth and continue providing high-quality and high-speed Internet, it is essential to implement new 5G technologies and to put the new resource into operation. At the moment, the state has already released the 350 MHz width resource which is currently idle although completely ready for implementing 5G. This is a very significant resource which could allow simultaneously doubling the frequency resource currently used by operators, not to mention the fact that the 5G technology allows using the same frequency band much more efficiently, at least 1.5-1.8 times! Unfortunately, this resource has been idle for 1.5 years and neither brings any payments to the state treasury, nor improves the mobile data quality. The 5G opponents argue that the poor mobile data quality should be addressed by building 4G, and that will certainly continue. However, everyone in the world has long understood that it is much more far-sighted not to invest money in old technologies as it is unprofitable and ineffective. According to plans, 60-65% of subscribers and traffic will already be switched to 5G by 2028-2029. This means that capacity will be needed in 5G, while 4G networks will be released and stay idle. The useful life and depreciation period set for this type of equipment in the Kyrgyz Republic is 7 years. It turns out that, due to the fact that the auction is not held in time, mobile operators are forced to invest in outdated equipment which will not even have time to depreciate when it needs to be replaced with 5G. In addition, 5G equipment, when converted to 1 MHz of capacity, turns out to be even more profitable. After all, 100 MHz can be used completely at once in 5G compared to 20 MHz in 4G with its single carrier technology at the cell tower. Accessibility for people The introduction of 5G does not exclude continuous operation of all current 4G/3G/2G standards. They are operated in parallel, without affecting the development of 5G. The launch of 3G and 4G once took place as per the same scenario and did not suspend the 2G coverage increase. On the contrary, the mobile data speed increased, including in villages, and the cost of mobile communication services in Kyrgyzstan was and remains low compared to other countries. There is no need to talk about potential social inequality, given that today you can already buy a budget smartphone supporting 5G for about 13,000 KGS. In addition, 4G/3G/2G networks continue to operate, and there is no strict need to urgently buy a 5G smartphone to use high-quality telecom services. Moreover, in 2024, according to the recent Omdia report, sales of 5G devices already account for 58% of total smartphone sales, and these are mainly budget models under $250. This percentage will continue to grow in the coming years, and sales of 5th generation devices will account for 95% of total sales by 2027. Given how often people in Kyrgyzstan change their phones to new models, we can predict that more than half of the devices on the market will be those supporting 5G in a couple of years. Radiophobia Radiophobia cannot and should not become an obstacle. On the contrary, the introduction of 5G is a reason to improve the work for educating people and raising their awareness. Although people cannot live without electricity today, it was just half a century ago that there were those who in every possible way prevented electrification tearing down electric poles. In the 19th century, the Luddite movement was popular as they massively destroyed sewing machines in factories. Continuous outreach activities carried out by O! specialists brings results as residents gain access to telecom services and realize that sunbathing is much more dangerous than a cell tower next to the house, and it is thanks to mobile communications that they can call emergency services, receive online education, develop their businesses, make more money quite faster, and much more. 5G is a solution the whole world is aiming for.

Nobody says that the 5th generation network will instantly cover the whole of Kyrgyzstan. This this is quite not a one-day matter but rather a painstaking process consisting of several stages. And the sooner we start developing 5G, the sooner Kyrgyzstan will experience a technological leap and gradually begin to improve the living conditions and well-being of its people. Look how many opportunities people in Kyrgyzstan have now in different areas through the timely development of high-speed Internet. Progress is inevitable, and the mass introduction of 5G networks globally will happen very quickly, and we will be surprised to remember the times when popular services such as high-resolution video, virtual and augmented reality, diagnostic and control systems, smart transport, telemedicine and much more needed a tangle of wires. Interestingly, as the Ericsson Mobility Report predicts, in addition to the leading countries in 5G adoption such as South Korea, Canada, Germany, Britain, Japan, France and China, Africa will take the lead too. The sharp increase in number of mobile users in African countries is due to positive economic prospects and active measures aimed at expanding network coverage. This is due to the growing need for voice, data and basic services such as banking. How can 5G benefit Kyrgyzstan? The opportunities that 5G technology opens up cannot be underestimated, they are simply enormous: it is not just about downloading movies quickly. Instant response and high speed open the way to complex areas that require precision. Smart cities. 5G will help improve urban infrastructure, quickly respond to incidents, and manage traffic flows. Thousands of devices such as CCTV cameras or car sensors can be combined to collect data. Medicine. 5G will increase the availability of medical services. Even if the best cardiac surgeon lives in Bishkek and the patient lives in Batken, the doctor will be able to perform the operation in another city in real time as each of his touches will be transmitted to an artificially controlled manipulator. Artificial intelligence surprises us every day. One can use it to write a book or even make a video with famous actors’ faces. It is impossible to ignore the world boom on this topic, and it is basically necessary to evolve now taking into account our mentality and language specifics.

o.kg

Почему самое время для запуска 5G в Кыргызстане – уже сегодня? | Мобильный оператор О!

Новости