Velcom

Company Overview

Velcom started its commercial operations rendering mobile services in April 1999. The company operates its mobile network under the velcom and PRIVET brands as well as providing fixed broadband internet access based on its own fibre optic network. Velcom is a subsidiary of Telekom Austria Group (TAG). In April 2019 Velcom began rebranding elements of its business to A1 Belarus, matching its parent company's branding. 

Velcom began its 3G network rollout in March 2010 over B1 (2100 MHz). In December 2015 the company activated DC-HSPA+ technology over its entire 3G network increasing peak data rates to 42 Mbps. In February 2016 the operator switched on its long range B8 (900 MHz) 3G network allowing dramatic coverage extension and mobile data quality upgrade throughout the whole country.

Unlike its competitors, Velcom elected not to connect to the 4G network being deployed by the country’s national infrastructure access provider Belarusian Cloud Technologies (beCloud). In September 2013 beCloud was granted frequencies to construct what was planned to be the country’s sole 4G LTE wireless network when the government awarded it LTE-capable spectrum, with the aim of constructing a single nationwide network to be offered on a wholesale basis to other Belarus operators in order to save infrastructure costs. The company conducted lengthy discussions with the Belarussian regulator (BelGIE) around obtaining appropriate licences to refarm its existing spectrum for LTE, unfortunately without result.

In March 2019 the company announced that it had agreed to use beCloud as its 4G infrastructure provider and that 4G services were now available to its subscribers over beCloud's B3 (1800 MHz) managed network.

Velcom IoT

In December 2017 Velcom launched the first Belarusian IoT network using a standalone NB-IoT configuration in the 900 MHz band.