Low-mobility communications: 5G-based fixed Internet will appear in Russia
In Russia, the technology of fixed Internet access based on the 5G standard is being legalized, Izvestia learned from the materials of the State Commission on Radio Frequencies. It allows you to connect apartments and offices to the network at speeds up to 1 Gbit/s. The Ministry of Finance believes that 5G FWA technology is useful where it is difficult and unprofitable to connect a separate cable to each house. We can talk about connecting cottage settlements, city outskirts, and other low-rise settlements with low building densities to the Internet, experts say. In their opinion, the technology may be in demand against the background of periodic outages of the mobile Internet and the growing demand for fixed network access.
How does a stationary 5G differ from a mobile one
Russia may allow the use of fixed wireless Internet access technology based on the 5G radio protocol (5G FWA). This follows from the materials of the State Commission on Radio Frequencies (GCRF), which were reviewed by Izvestia. Its meeting is scheduled to take place at the end of December.
The state Commission intends to allocate frequencies in the range of 27.8–28.4 GHz and 28.8–29.4 GHz to an indefinite circle of people — communications equipment using time duplex (a channel separation method that allows for more economical use of frequencies) should work on them, the documents say.
5G FWA meets these requirements, one of the frequency planning specialists pointed out. It should not be confused with the mobile 5G — FWA, and the characteristics prescribed in the draft decision of the GCR are intended specifically for fixed-line communications, he said.
According to Izvestia's interlocutor, the range of base stations of this standard can reach several kilometers with line of sight and the use of an external antenna, and the access speed using this technology is up to 1 Gbit/s. 5G FWA is well suited for connecting cottage settlements, city outskirts, and other low—rise settlements with a building density to the Internet. It is small, the Izvestia interlocutor noted. The transition to a modern radio interface makes it possible to use high frequency bands that are currently idle, since they were originally allocated to outdated fixed technologies, he claims.
5G FWA also allows you to connect apartments and offices to the Internet at high speed, where the Internet was connected decades ago, and where the access infrastructure is outdated physically and mentally and does not provide the necessary data transfer speeds, the specialist added.
The technology is also relevant in the light of periodic mobile Internet outages, and as a result, the growing interest in fixed access. The fact is that when connected via 5G FWA, the signal is transmitted over the air, but at frequencies that are not used for mass mobile communications. Due to their short range, it makes no sense to use them to control drones, a source in the communications market explained. Accordingly, even in the case of mobile Internet outages to protect against UAVs, these frequencies will not be jammed.
The frequencies mentioned in the materials of the State Emergency Committee were transferred for civilian use back in the late 2010s. But both in Russia and abroad, they turned out to be practically unclaimed by cellular companies — due to the fact that the range of base stations when connected from smartphones is very small, it is unprofitable and inefficient to build networks covering cities, market participants told Izvestia.
The issue of allocating these frequencies for FWA was submitted to the State Emergency Committee because the telecom industry decided to test them to develop domestic solutions, as well as to develop a business model for the provision of services, the Ministry of Finance, which oversees the work of the state commission, noted.
— This technology finds application in those areas where it is difficult and unprofitable to connect a separate cable to each house. FWA is gaining popularity in the world, but it has not yet spread in Russia," the agency explained.
Will fixed wireless Internet be in demand in Russia
The SCR will consider the issue of frequencies for 5G FWA at the request of Er-Telecom Holding, one of the largest fixed-line operators in the Russian Federation, according to the materials of the commission. At the same time, in case of a positive decision by the state commission, FWA networks can be launched by other Internet providers.
Er-Telecom and MTS declined to comment. Izvestia also sent a request to Vimpelcom.
Megafon considers the allocation of frequencies for 5G FWA as a reserve for the future. The use of wireless solutions for fixed access can be considered as one of the options for the development of network infrastructure, according to the company.
— However, the need and specific parameters for the use of such technologies depend on approved regulatory requirements, availability of a frequency resource, and cost-effectiveness. We closely monitor the needs of the market and evaluate the payback of such projects — these factors determine the feasibility of introducing new technological solutions," the company added.
Megafone.
According to Leonid Konik, a partner at ComNews Research, 5G networks in the FWA format are being successfully implemented in the United States.
— There are still a huge number of private houses in small towns in the country — the so—called "one-story America" - with Internet access via copper telephone wires. In order to provide such users with fast Internet at once and at the same time not lose time to cable operators, cellular companies have followed the path of FWA development," he said.
The issue of allocating frequencies for the new access technology to Russian communications specialists was raised at a time when mobile Internet outages began to occur and users began to become more interested in fixed-line Internet. In the second half of 2025, the demand for its services increased from both private users and small and medium-sized businesses, said an employee of one of the operators. People began to order apartment and house connections more often, although until recently it was mobile communications that satisfied basic needs — many even watched TV, connecting via mobile traffic, the Izvestia interlocutor claims.
Interest in fixed Internet access outside cities has been increasing since 2020, the Ministry of Finance noted. This trend is unchanged and is associated with the migration of users out of town in the summer and the growth of the remote work segment, the department explained.
In June and July 2025 alone, the demand for Wi-Fi routers in the Russian Federation doubled compared to the same period in 2024, sellers and operators told Izvestia. They were bought by both citizens and small and medium-sized enterprises, they claimed. In particular, sales of wired Wi-Fi routers at Wildberries increased by 134% this summer.
Any allocation of frequencies is a positive event for the communications industry, says Denis Kuskov, CEO of TelecomDaily. The introduction of 5G FWA would make it possible in the future to solve many issues related to Internet connection not only in remote areas, but also in areas adjacent to large cities. In cottage settlements and villages, it is often really problematic to run a cable, the expert admits. Moreover, where it exists, access is often provided by obsolete technologies, Denis Kuskov added.
Modern wireless technology will help to quickly connect houses and apartments at current speeds, where Internet cables have not yet reached and may not reach in the near future, he concluded.
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