When 5G Network Can Be Expected in Serbia – Public Discussion to Start These Days, Followed by Competition for Frequencies

In the coming days, a public discussion about the 5G network rulebook is to start, and it is to be followed by a competition for frequencies. The idea of a 5G network auction was in fact current three years ago, but it was said at the time that the moment was possibly not right.

The minister of information and telecommunications of Serbia, Mihailo Jovanovic, says for RTS that several steps need to be taken before the 5G network is implemented in Serbia and that the first one was made this year, when the parliament, at the proposition of the Government of Serbia, adopted the Law on Electronic Communications, which defines the existence of those next-generation networks and the obligation to provide all citizens with a fast and secure internet.

The second step is the rulebook, which will be up for a public discussion from next week.

– There is a good reason why I would say that now is the right time to slowly start the preparations for the 5G network, expecting to get the first users by the end of 2024, so, next year. One of the important reasons why we haven’t done so before is that we were not ready in terms of laws and bylaws. This year, we adopted the Law on Electronic Communications. In April, the National Assembly passed this law and it is the basic law on telecommunications which defines this field and, in line with that law, next year, I expect a public discussion about a rulebook which will define in more detail how we will carry out that 5G auction – Jovanovic says.

Advantages of 5G network

As for the advantages of the 5G network and what it will bring to the citizens of Serbia, minister Jovanovic said that everybody would benefit from it – both the citizens and the economy.

Two things are important from the technical side. Compared to the 4G network, the 5G network enables a far higher flow when it comes to the internet, which is crucial in modern telecommunications. The second important thing is that the delay of data transfer on that network is practically reduced to a minimum.

– We have a good 4G network and we have three excellent mobile operators which are competing in the market. The Republic of Serbia has set such conditions, such market competition, that we are extracting the maximum from the 4G network. What is special when it comes to the 5G network is that it has much higher flows and that delays on that network are practically negligible. What does that mean? That it is much more applicable in industry, economy, development, innovations, science, technology, and I would say that it is a little less significant for the citizens, who can follow TV channels and video streams already now, with the 4G network – the minister says.

He points out that this network also enables the management of industrial robots.

– So, it’s not just about the networking and the usage of the signal for the needs of people, but also machines, robots, large industrial systems, facilities, ports, now use the 5G network and thanks to that minimal delay, which is practically no delay, on the 5G network, it is possible to control robots and machines – says Jovanovic.

Vlada Republike Srbije

Ministarstvo informisanja i telekomunikacija Republike Srbije

ETF Beograd

Government of Serbia

Ministry of Information and Telecommunications

Mihailo Jovanovic

5G network rulebook

Law on Electronic Communications

Law on Public Information

5G network auction

implementation of 5G network

5g auctions

4G network

base stations

construction of base stations