Russia’s State Commission for Radio Frequencies (SCRF) has extended the country’s existing frequency licences for analogue TV broadcasting – which includes the 700MHz band earmarked for future mobile broadband usage – until 31 December 2024, reports TelecomDaily. The head of the Ministry of Digital Development, Communications & Mass Media, Maksut Shadayev, was cited as saying that a decision needs to be made ‘before March 2024’ on a strategy for releasing the 700MHz frequencies for developing 5G, a plan which is expected to require compensation for broadcasters losing the spectrum. 

The report also cites Alexey Malinin, president of Russia’s National Association of Television & Radio Broadcasters, highlighting that his sector needs to approve a new frequency plan, which is ‘a fairly complex and lengthy process’ that will take ‘at least a year’, whilst the head of state-controlled broadcaster NTV, Alexey Zemsky, was quoted claiming that it will take ‘four to five years’ for the industry to switch to other frequencies after such a plan is agreed.

TeleGeography’s GlobalComms Database notes that Russia completed a phased switch-off of federal ‘must-carry’ analogue TV channels in October 2019, while regional analogue TV broadcasting has remained in operation under repeated licence extensions from the SCRF. The country’s main cellcos MTS, MegaFon, Tele2 and Beeline hold in-principle rights to the 700MHz band under their 4G licences but in practice do not have access to the frequencies.