One of Russia’s so-called ‘big four’ mobile operators, Vimpelcom (Beeline), has launched Long Term Evolution (LTE) commercially in Grozny, noting that currently its 4G signal covers 80% of the Chechen Republic capital’s urban areas. In a press release yesterday, Beeline said its frequency division duplexing-LTE (FDD-LTE) network, operating in the 2600MHz and, is capable of delivering maximum peak data rates of over 70Mbps, with average throughput at between 17Mbps and 22Mbps. The carrier’s 4G network is already present in other parts of the South and North Caucasus region, including Stavropol, Rostov-on-Don, Astrakhan, Kalmykia Republic of Ingushetia, Karachay-Cherkessia and Adygea.
Beeline is not the sole Russian cellco to bring 4G to Grozny. In June this year, MegaFon announced that its LTE network was now live in the Chechen Republic, marking the 56th region of Russia where it has launched high speed mobile internet. According to MegaFon, its 4G network also provides coverage of more than 80% of Grozny, with peak download speeds of up to 100Mbps. By the year end it intends to have increased LTE coverage in Grozny to 90%.
