Moldova’s Ministry of Economy and Infrastructure last week held a public consultation session on the roll-out of 5G in the country. The videoconference was attended by representatives of Orange, Moldcell, Moldtelecom, the National Agency for Public Health, the National Radio Frequency Management Service and the National Agency for Regulation in Electronic Communications and Information Technology.

The agenda of the discussions focused on the elaboration of the new Radio Spectrum Management Programme, the plans of mobile communications operators regarding next generation 5G technologies, and the state of play regarding the protection of public health.

At the beginning of the meeting, the Minister said the consultations also aimed to clarify and refute speculation regarding the new 5G mobile communication technologies, both in Moldova and abroad.

“Wired or wireless electronic communications networks are vital to a modern economy, electronic services and the Internet have become an indispensable part of our daily lives, and the pandemic crisis has only accentuated the need for modern and reliable communications services at increasingly advanced capabilities,“ said Minister Sergiu Railean.

Mobile phone operators said their investment plans did not foresee the implementation of 5G technology before 2023, explaining that the process of transition to a more advanced generation involves the development of infrastructure and informing the population about the availability of these services.

During the meeting, it was agreed on the creation of a working group, which will include all institutions with responsibilities in the field, to develop the regulatory framework for the implementation of 5G technology in Moldova.

The Ministry of Economy and Infrastructure is finalising the draft programme, which will be submitted for public consultation and is to be approved by the government by the end of this year. The programme will contain a planning for the use of radio spectrum at country level, harmonised with the policy of use of radio spectrum at regional and international level.

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