5G news
Archived — this story has rotated out of today’s deck. It is kept here in full.
The gist
Russia's four major operators launched commercial 5G in 16 cities on Sep 11, 2026.
The rollout reaches 10 million people but iPhones can't connect due to frequency limits.
Background
Russia's 5G rollout was delayed for years because the military and security services kept exclusive control of the 3.4-3.8 GHz band used for 5G internationally, and because Nokia and Ericsson exited Russia after the invasion of Ukraine. Operators were instead allowed to use the 4.63-4.99 GHz range, which iPhones cannot use. The launch, ordered by President Vladimir Putin, comes amid regular mobile internet disruptions authorities say are needed against Ukrainian drone attacks.
How it unfolded
- Sep 8, 2026Waseda University researchers presented AI-model research for 5G multicast broadcasting at IEEE VTC2026-Fall in Boston.
- Sep 10, 2026ST Engineering iDirect reported progress on multi-waveform 5G NTN user equipment.
- Sep 11, 2026Russia's four major mobile operators launched commercial 5G in Moscow, St. Petersburg and Yekaterinburg, with coverage in other cities varying by operator; the Digital Ministry said it aims to reach 50 more cities by year-end.
- Sep 12, 2026Reports confirmed Russia had launched 5G networks in 16 cities.
Who’s saying what
- Official
- Russia's Digital Ministry said the launch aims to bring high-speed internet to 10 million people, that Android users will get 5G 'in the near future,' and that iPhone access 'depends on a decision by the Apple corporation.'
- Expert
- Waseda University researchers said their AI approach could enable more reliable HD television delivery over local 5G networks where fibre is impractical, and help bridge information gaps in underserved areas.
- Analysts
- The Private LTE/5G Network Market report said deployments are growing rapidly as organisations move beyond proof-of-concept projects, with about 6,500 private networks deployed worldwide by end-2025.
Still unverified
The AI model was reportedly trained using approximately 26 million measurements collected every 0.5 milliseconds from a commercial 5G network; this figure is unconfirmed.