A1 is the first to deploy the second carrier frequency in the UMTS-900 range in Belarus

A1 is the first to enhance its network capacity in Belarus by utilizing an additional radio frequency channel in the UMTS-900 range. This move has resulted in improved coverage in areas outside major cities.

The 900 MHz band was chosen for the deployment of the second carrier frequency, as it is used to establish telecommunications in rural areas, since it ensures broad surface coverage with less signal attenuation compared to the 2,100 MHz range. Furthermore, at this frequency the radio signal penetrates through various kinds of shielding obstacles more efficiently and has a larger capacity, ensuring high signal quality even in areas with difficult terrain or in high-density housing development zones. The additional channel has practically doubled the capacity of the existing 3G Network within the coverage area of the second carrier frequency. This helped improve the voice call quality and accelerated mobile Internet speed in the A1 Network.

The second carrier frequency in the 900 MHz band has currently been configured to cover regions with the highest rural population density and significant tourism potential in the Minsk, Vitebsk, and Mogilev Regions. The new and improved A1 Network performance quality has received favorable feedback from residents in small villages, rural areas, holiday resorts and recreational zones.

"A1 is doing everything possible to ensure that the technical resources at our disposal, including the frequency range, are used with maximum efficiency. The deployment of the second carrier frequency in the UMTS-900 range is an example of how this principle is implemented in practice: we were able to provide our subscribers with a more reliable 3G communication and better service, while avoiding the construction of new stations or significant time expenditures. In the future the company plans to expand the coverage of the second carrier frequency throughout the entire territory of Belarus: the project is expected to be completed by 2024," stated Vladimir Sachkov, the Deputy General Director of the Network Operation and Maintenance Division at A1 Enterprise

 A1 Enterprise takes steps to enhance the quality of its network services in the 900 MHz band on a regular basis. Thus, back in 2021 a project was initiated to gradually replace standard antennas at UMTS-900 base stations with multi-beam antennas, resulting in a 2-3 times increase in network capacity. And in 2022, the company introduced RAN Sharing technology, which allows operators to share radio access networks to speed up mobile network deployment and improve coverage quality across the country or specific regions.