Imagine downloading a 4K movie in a matter of minutes or working online without any freezes even in the center of a large city. This is no longer fantasy, but the reality of 5G testing in Ukraine. After several successful launches in different cities, mobile operators are scaling the pilot project to the capital. Almost 1.5 million Ukrainians have already experienced the benefits of new generation communication. As the PromPolitInform portal informs, this was reported by the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine.
The 5G pilot helps the state and telecom business to test the network operation in real conditions, test the stability of the equipment and assess the quality and density of coverage (signal transmission through urban areas and connection stability) in different locations in Kyiv.
“The launch of 5G in Kyiv is another important step towards the modern telecom infrastructure of Ukraine. We are already seeing the results of the pilot: almost 1.5 million Ukrainians tested the new technology, during the tests the data transfer speed reached over 1 Gbit/s, and the average speed was about 600-700 Mbit/s. Our task now is to qualitatively test 5G technology in order to scale it across the country after the end of martial law,” emphasizes Stanislav Prybytko, Deputy Minister of Digital Transformation for the Development of Digital Infrastructure
More than 300 base stations are already providing the operation of the pilot network, and operators are expanding the infrastructure. By the way, Ukrainian smartphones are also gradually preparing for innovations – currently 29% of devices support 5G technology.
Operators’ experience: from Borodyanka and Kharkiv to the capital
Mobile operators have already successfully tested the technology in Lviv, Kharkiv and Borodyanka. Specialists have gained unique experience in deploying networks in various infrastructure conditions: from historical centers and train stations to frontline cities and small communities. Now testing is moving to the capital level.
“The results of the pilot project confirmed the high interest of users in the new technology. Compared to the first weeks after the launch of 5G in Lviv, Borodyanka and Kharkiv, traffic consumption in the lifecell 5G network increased by 75%, and the number of simultaneous sessions by 35%. This pilot launch is not only an opportunity for us to test a new technology, but also one of the elements of preparing the network for the autumn-winter period, possible power outages and the associated increase in network load,” says Mykhailo Shelemba, CEO of lifecell.
“The launch in Kyiv is unique in its scale: 5G on the Vodafone network is available not only in the city center, but in all districts of the capital. This will allow us to test the network operation on the scale of an entire city — the largest in Ukraine — and provide access to the new generation of communication for the widest possible range of users,” says Olga Ustinova, CEO of Vodafone Ukraine.
“Kyiv will become an important testing ground for 5G, because it is here that we can evaluate the technology’s operation under the highest network load. Today, we see the greatest potential of 5G in offloading the LTE network in places where thousands of people use mobile communications at the same time. The average data transfer speed in Kyivstar’s 5G network is 600–800 Mbps, and the maximum exceeds 1.7 Gbps,” notes Oleksandr Komarov, CEO of Kyivstar.
How to connect to 5G and configure the network
Usually, a smartphone automatically picks up the new generation network. To make sure everything works correctly or if the “5G” icon does not appear, check the following settings:
– Make sure that your smartphone supports 5G. In the phone settings (section “Cellular data” or “Mobile network”), check which technologies the device is connected to (currently 29% of smartphones in Ukraine are ready for this).
– Update the operating system. The phone must have the latest software version installed.
– Turn off the traffic saving and power saving modes. These modes often automatically limit background downloads and the operation of the 5G module to save battery power.
– Restart the network. If the phone does not connect automatically, turn on and turn off Airplane mode after a few seconds.
– Restart the phone. This will help the device re-register with the network.
The future of 5G in Ukraine: preparing for a technological leap
The new communication standard will become the technological foundation for the development of the entire country. Thanks to 5G, Ukrainians will be able to work remotely even more comfortably, study online without any freezes, instantly download large files and communicate with their relatives uninterruptedly via video call. And for the state, this technology guarantees the development of a modern digital infrastructure and full integration into the European space.
The next step after Kyiv is Odesa. The Ministry of Digital Affairs, together with operators, is already preparing to expand the pilot project to the south of Ukraine.
