Telecom Ministry does not force mobile operators to discontinue 2G in Belarus - Shulgan

<p> MINSK, May 6 - PrimePress. The Ministry of Communications and Informatization of Belarus will not force mobile operators to stop providing 2G technology communication services in Belarus, chief of Belarus’ Communications and Informatization Ministry Konstantin Shulgan told a press conference on 6 May. </p> <p>   </p> <p> Currently, Belarusian mobile operators use the second-, third- and fourth-generation communication technologies (2G, 3G, 4G) to provide communications and data services. At the end of the first quarter of 2021, the coverage of mobile telecommunication services of GSM standard (2G) in Belarus was 98.7%, UMTS (3G) - 98.4% and LTE (4G) - 42.8%. The population coverage with services of these standards is 99.9%, 99.9% and 92%, respectively. </p> <p>   </p> <p> According to the minister, 2G technology is used not only by individuals, but also by legal entities. It can be discontinued quietly, without forcing the issue. There is a plan and a deadline, but there is enough time to accomplish the task. To encourage subscribers to switch to the new technology, various possibilities are being discussed with telecom operators. One of them is a gift version of a 3G phone. </p> <p>   </p> <p> 2G technology is used in certain models of push-button phones, children's watches, various GSM modules for car alarms, GPS trackers and other M2M devices. </p> <p>   </p> <p> According to expert data, currently the share of 2G subscribers in the networks of Belarusian mobile operators is about 10% of the total subscriber base. At the end of the first quarter of 2021, there were 11.671 million mobile subscribers in Belarus. End </p> <p>   </p>

2021-05-07

Primepress