Mobile operator MTS Belarus, which is rolling out 4G services across the Republic in conjunction with the country’s sole 4G infrastructure provider Belarusian Cloud Technologies (beCloud), says that as the result of its latest expansion, LTE services are now present in all regional centres of the Mogilev region. With more than 100 base stations now operational there, this year MTS says it has been able to switch on fourth-generation services in Klichev, Glusk, Kirovsk, Dribin, Chausy, Klimovichi, Mstislavl, Kostyukovichi, Bykhov, Osipovichi, Belynichy, Cherikov, Khotimsk, Krasnopol’e and Slavgorod. The deployment began in the city of Mogilev in December 2016, before the pair extended coverage to Bobruisk, Krugloye, Krichev and Gorki in 2017, and then other regional centres this year.
In a related development, MTS and beCloud have revealed plans of their future LTE deployments, including scaling out new base transceiver stations (BTS) in the 2.6GHz band throughout Belarus. Currently, MTS Belarus’ 4G services are available via a total of 1,510 BTS in more than 180 cities and towns countryside – including some using the 2.6GHz band. Going forward, the pair intend to boost overall coverage in both cities and towns to meet pent-up demand. The LTE-2600 network is already operational in some of the busiest locations in Minsk, Gomel, Vitebsk and Mogilyov, as well as in Mozyr, Soligorsk, Borisov, Zhodino, Gorki and Baranovichi. MTS and beCloud now plan to expand the network capacity in Grodno, Brest, Kobrin, Pinsk, Ivatsevichi, Polotsk, Novopolotsk, Lida, Ostrovets and Molodechno, while also developing plans for the development of 4G at 1800MHz.