In western Ukraine, the process of releasing the 700 MHz band in Lviv and Volyn regions has been completed, which will allow Polish operators to fully develop 4G/5G networks in accordance with the license in this band.
In western Ukraine, the process of releasing the 700 MHz band in Lviv and Volyn regions has been completed, which will allow Polish operators to fully develop 4G/5G networks in accordance with the license in this band.
This is stated in a statement by the National Commission for State Regulation in the Spheres of Electronic Communications, Radio Frequency Spectrum and Postal Services (NCEC).
It is noted that the work took place in a 100-kilometer zone along the border in Lviv and Volyn regions, where frequencies of 50–53 television channels (range 694–790 MHz) were released. The process was supported by international donors, who helped replace equipment on 11 DVB-T2 digital television broadcasting transmitters.
"In accordance with the decision of the European Parliament and the Council of the EU, member states were required to ensure the use of the 700 MHz band for electronic communications by June 30, 2020. EU countries gradually released this spectrum, but Ukraine's neighboring countries faced interference from Ukrainian television transmitters," the NKEC noted.
In 2024, as part of the work of the Radio Spectrum Policy Group at the European Commission, a communication platform was organized, where meetings were held with the participation of representatives of Ukraine, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, and the EU.
Together they have defined an action plan, according to which the first stage is the release of the 700 MHz band in Lviv and Volyn regions, and the second stage is in Zakarpattia. This process is ongoing due to the lack of a budget and the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine. It is now expected that the release of the 700 MHz band should be completed by December 31, 2026.
Recall that since 2021, the Ministry of Digital Affairs has been working on releasing radio frequencies necessary for the launch of 5G in Ukraine. The key bands for Ukraine are the same as in Europe — 700 MHz and 3.4-3.8 GHz. These are radio frequencies that will allow covering more territory.
On November 1 last year, the Ministry of Digital Affairs announced the launch of a pilot project to implement the 5G network , which will last 2 years. The first city where the testing will take place will be Lviv. If the equipment does not affect the work of the military, the project will be scaled up to two more cities.
