Vodafone and Nokia start testing 5G in Ukraine on the basis of existing 4G network
On May 25, Vodafone and Nokia conducted a 5G teleconference between Ukraine and Finland, connecting Ivano-Frankivsk, Kyiv, and Helsinki using the new communication technology. The connection was made using test indoor 5G solutions that Vodafone and Nokia built in Ivano-Frankivsk at Promprylad, and in Kyiv at Vodafone’s office. These are the first sites in Ukraine where 5G is available not only through special demonstration equipment. Vodafone has been testing IMT-2020 radio technology with the 5G New Radio (NR) baseband standard for some time now. This is a non-standalone solution that enables 5G use without replacing SIM cards and allows you to build a network based on an existing 4G network. In this way, Vodafone can quickly deploy a 5G network and increase data transfer speeds for subscribers. During the first tests, Vodafone achieved a data download speed of 1508 Mbps. This is three times faster than the theoretical maximum of 4G and up to 5 times faster than practical speeds in 4G networks.
At the same time, a local solution with a lower capacity for indoor networks was built for the tests, so the speeds are not yet maximized.
The 5G teleconference was organized during the Action Forum 2024, which The Aspen Institute Kyiv held at the Promprylad Innovation Center in Ivano-Frankivsk. The forum participants heard a speech by Mykhailo Fedrov, Vice Prime Minister for Innovation, Education, Science and Technology Development and Minister of Digital Transformation. Helsinki, where the 5G network has been operating since 2019, also got in touch: the event was greeted by Ville Tavio, Minister of Foreign Trade and Development of Finland, who recently visited Ukraine. During the visit, the parties discussed, among other things, investments in modern technologies. In addition, the President of Nokia Mobile Networks, Tommy Vitto, made a live 5G broadcast from Helsinki.
In Ivano-Frankivsk, the teleconference was attended by Olga Ustinova, CEO of Vodafone, and Yuriy Fylyuk, CEO and initiator of the Promprylad Innovation Center. Stanislav Prybytko, Head of Mobile Internet Development at the Ministry of Digital Transformation, and Olga Deinega, Vodafone’s GR Director, are at Vodafone’s Kyiv office.
Vodafone will still need a license from the regulator to launch a 5G network, so even if it uses the existing network, it is not yet known when the next-generation connection might actually appear in Ukraine.
