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BELARUS - Беларусь

  • "Доступ в Интернет по технологии Wi-Fi в Беларуси смогут предоставлять все провайдеры" [All licensed ISPs will be able to provide Internet access via Wi-Fi] by Elena Solonenko, BELTA, 6 January 2009, in Russian. Summary/translation: The decision was taken at a meeting of the State Commission for Radio Frequencies under the Security Council of the Republic of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko told the First Deputy Minister of Communications and Informatization Ivan Rak. Currently, only the national telecom operator Beltelecom can offer the public Internet access via Wi-Fi in the 2400-2483.5 MHz band. More than 210 Beltelecom access points have been set up, about 130 of them in Minsk. The Security Council decision will enhance competition between Beltelecom and the ISPs. But ISPs will still be limited to 100mW radiated power, and "special harmonization" (approval by the military) will still be required for outdoor service. In addition, only ISPs with no other wireless means at their disposal will be allowed to offer Wi-Fi to the public. This decision will remain valid to 31 December 2013.
  • "В Беларуси разрешили использовать WiFi на безлицензионной основе" CompTek, 25 April 2006, in Russian: Belarus' State Committee on Radio Frequencies has issued a decree for the secondary use of 2400 - 2483.5 Mhz by WLANs inside buildings, offices and factories without a license, with no governmental coordination, no spectrum use fee, and no right to provide services to others for financial gain, so long as the radiated power is 100 mW or less, and the devices use an integral antenna that is not outdoors. All wireless broadband access equipment must be registered with the Public Prosecutor's office, except for transceivers integrated into laptops and fax modems with integrated antennas.
  • Apparently, that decree replaced State Commission for Radio Frequencies Decision No. 38 (16 July 1998), which expired on 1 January 2006, and SCRF Decision No. 15 which came into effect on 6 January 2006.
  • During a press conference on 3 March 2006, deputy Ministry of Communications and Informatization Nikolai Strukov explained the current policy on WiFi licensing. According to e-Belarus' reporter Mikhail Doroshevich, he said "local Wi-Fi networks in offices and at homes do not require any licensing. However 'outer' WiFi networks [i.e., outdoor networks not for self-use] should be 'approved by the Ministry'..."
  • New table of frequency allocations adopted by the Council of Ministers on 12 April 2006.
  • "On 31 March 2005, the Belarus Council of Ministers adopted Decision 346 establishing the Concept for Radio Communications Development in Belarus from 2005-2010... Before this decision, the Government did not allow the 2.4 GHz band to be used for Wi-Fi. However, in practice, the import of equipment for private use could not be prevented, since Wi-Fi was a standard feature in laptop computers... Public use of Wi-Fi (i.e. not used in a completely domestic or private office environment) requires a licence in Belarus. The licensing process requires the preparation of a technical dossier. The price for putting together such a dossier is approximately 1,000US$ (846 Euro). The licence is issued, at the earliest, half a year after the application. If a business wants to use Wi-Fi in order to connect two geographic locations, Beltelecom has to confirm that the state monopoly is technically unable to provide the connection. A plan to permit unlicensed use of Wi-Fi was approved and subsequently withdrawn... In mid-2005 there were ten public Wi-Fi spots in Belarus, all in Minsk..." ---Final Report: Monitoring of Russia and Ukraine (priority 1) and Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan and Moldova (priority 2) - Telecommunications and the Information Society, by Political Intelligence and Internews for the European Commission, December 2006 (chapter 6: Belarus, pages 24, 28-29).
  • "Belarusian state telco 'Beltelecom' launches Wi-Fi," by Mikhail Doroshevich, e-Belarus, 24 July 2007: "At present, Wi-Fi zones are afoot in Minsk central railway station's building, in 'Yubileinaya', 'Planeta', 'Belarus' and 'Oktyabrskya' hotels (foyer and conference-halls), and in Minsk-2 airport. The company is planning to increase the number of Wi-Fi access points up to 20 by the end of August, 2007. Internet connection speed in Wi-Fi zones is 2 Mbits/sec. Beltelecom Wi-Fi free of charge testing service will be functioning within the period of 2-3 months."
  • "Wi-Fi in Belarus" - a list of public hot-spots, with some maps and additional information, maintained by IT.TUT.BY (in Russian).
  • "State Committee on Radio Frequencies will be attached to the Security Council of Belarus," by Mikhail Doroshevich, e-Belarus, 4 August 2006. The new Committee, created by a presidential decree dated 31 July 2006, replaces the Ministry of Communications and Informatization's radio frequency department. The Committee will be headed initially by Security Council Vice State Secretary Juri Krivosheev.
  • "Belarusian president signs the Law on telecommunications," (Президент Беларуси подписал закон об электросвязи) by Mikhail Doroshevich, e-Belarus, 5 August 2005 in English: signed on 2 August, "the new Law introduces centralized state control of radiofrequencies spectrum and numbering, as well as fees for use of radiofrequencies... It is expected that the new legislative framework will stimulate redistribution of frequencies... The Law will join into force in ten days after it is officially published."
  • "Об утверждении положения о лицензировании деятельности в области связи Постановление Совета Министров Республики Беларусь от 20.10.2004 №1387" (Decision Number 1387 of the Council of Ministers from 20.10.2004 on a Position Statement concerning the Licensing of Activities in the Sphere of Communications) in Russian: basically a description of requirements, fees and procedures.
  • "ПРАВОВАЯ ОСНОВА ИСПОЛЬЗОВАНИЯ РАДИООБОРУДОВАНИЯ ДИАПАЗОНА 2,4 ГГЦ" [Lawful Basis for the Use of Radio Equipment in the 2.4 GHz Band], NTQ Atlas, 2003, in Russian: GKRCH Resolution No. 38 ("Об использовании полосы радиочастот 2400-2483,5 МГц для локальных радиосетей передачи данных" - "On the use of radio-frequency band 2400-2483,5 MHz by local radio networks for the transmission of data," 16 July 1998) authorizes unlicensed RLANs to use spread spectrum modulation on a secondary basis with radiated power of 100 mW or less. Radio LANs with EIRP between -10 dBw and +15 dcBw can use DSSS in this band with approved equipment, "special permission" from the Ministry of Defense, and a license from the Ministry of Communication. (Other sources indicate that these rights did not extend to the provision of Internet access via public "hotspots.")
  • "Примеры конверсии радиочастотного спектра в Республике Беларусь," [Examples of radio frequency spectrum conversion in the Republic of Belarus] by Sergey Ivanovich Bogdanov, presented at an ITU workshop on "Convergence of radio services as a means of improving the efficiency of spectrum utilization" in Yerevan, Armenia, 28-30 April 2008 (in Russian). This says that the transfer of spectrum from military to civilian uses is going very slowly in Belarus.
  • Legal News from Belarus, in English.
  • ICT Market in Belarus: Trends and Analysis, by Mikhail Doroshevich, E-Belarus.org, November 2003: "...ISPs provide services based on wireless technologies though absence of permission for using 2.4 GHertz frequency impedes expansion of the service..." A revised Russian version of that document adds: "Wi-fi technology for creating public access points (hotspots) unfortunately has not been used thus far in Belarus."

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