In early March, major Russian mobile phone operator Mobile TeleSystems (MTS) launched a test network in the Russian capital. But several issues need to be resolved before a nationwide 5G rollout can be executed.

"MTS is announcing the launch of Russia's first large-scale pilot 5G network, operating in the 4.9 GHz bandwidth in Moscow's 14 popular areas," the company announced, adding that selected users whose phones support 5G will be able to take advantage of an unlimited 5G internet connection with a speed of up to 1.5 Gb/s in a network deployed on Huawei equipment.

MTS president Alexei Kornya said that following a range of tests and trial runs in the 5G area, the company again "confirmed the status of the industry's tech leader by launching the first large-scale pilot of the fifth-generation mobile communications in Russia."

He added that MTS subscribers already can test all advantages of 5G, especially when downloading large-size files or using AR/VR services and cloud games.

At the moment, MTS subscribers whose phone supports the 4.4 GHz to 5 GHz frequency band could use 5G connection in a number of locations across town, including Gorky Park, Skolkovo innovation centre and several streets and boulevards in the city centre.

However, MTS' pilot 5G project is currently available only to a group of subscribers selected by the company. Subscribers selected to participate receive a text message inviting them to activate 5G access, after which they can use the service.

Meanwhile, MTS' pilot project is just a small step towards a full-fledged rollout of 5G in Russia, the date of which has already been postponed several times, and there are still issues that need to be resolved.

One such issue is what frequency band will be used for 5G in Russia. Globally, the 4.4 GHz to 3.8 GHz frequency band is used for 5G, but in Russia, it is taken by the Defence Ministry and the State Cosmos Agency.

Alexei Oksyuta, technology director of Centre Tele2 Moscow, a regional division of the Tele2 mobile phone operator, was quoted by RBC as saying that the 4.9 GHz frequency band is currently being considered as an alternative to 3.5 GHz.

However, its throughout is smaller than that of the 3.5 GHz frequency band, which means there would be a need for more base stations, which in turn means more investment for operators.

According to Oksyuta, mobile phone operators are concerned about recouping investment in the deployment of 5G networks, and it's not yet clear how long it will take before the new-generation mobile communication standard brings the operators any profits.

"As no decision on the frequency band has been made, no operator is deploying a full-fledged network or building cell towers nationwide," he concluded.

5G rollout has been a heavily discussed topic in Russian's telco industry for a few years now. However, operators' hopes that 5G could bring operators extra profits in a saturated market may not materialise – at least, in the immediate future.

Previously, the idea of a consortium of operators that would join forces in 5G deployment to achieve economy of scale was discussed. However, the discussions went nowhere, and as it stands now, operators will have to invest in the new tech separately.