VEON launches large-scale 5G trial on live network in Kazakhstan

Amsterdam, 21 October 2019 – VEON Ltd. (NASDAQ, Euronext Amsterdam: VEON) today announces that its joint venture company in Kazakhstan, KaR-Tel LLC, operating under the Beeline brand, has launched a large-scale 5G network trial in Shymkent, Kazakhstan, as part of its vision to empower customer ambitions through market-leading technologies and services.

The end-to-end trial is integrated into Beeline’s live mobile network, making it one of the largest 5G trials to date in Central Asia. The network architecture is aligned with the latest 5G release (NSA 3X) and allows 5G devices to aggregate LTE and 5G radio channels to achieve higher download speeds. Initial speed tests, using the 3.7 GHz band, show a downlink speed of 1.0GB per second.

The trial’s 5G coverage spreads over thirteen square kilometres, allowing a number of fixed wireless and mobile use cases to be tested in real-life conditions, including robotics for industry applications and virtual reality experiences such as gaming and 360-degree TV streaming. The trial is being led by KaR-Tel LLC in partnership with Nokia.

Yogesh Malik, VEON’s Chief Technology Officer, commented: “Our 5G trial in Kazakhstan is a further sign that VEON is embracing a 5G future that provides customers with cutting-edge technology to empower their personal or business ambitions. This 5G trial, alongside others in our operating companies, will provide valuable insights so we can learn, test and evaluate the most efficient applications of 5G for our customers.”

Mikko Lavanti, Head of Central East & Central Asia at Nokia, said: “This large-scale trial with our long-standing partner KaR-Tel LLC is an important step towards the broad deployment of 5G technology in Kazakhstan and Central Asia. Real-life testing is crucial for developing a 5G ecosystem to the benefit of consumers, industry and the economy. Nokia is enabling this trial with our end-to-end 5G technology, as well as sharing our experience of more than 100 technical 5G engagements around the world.”

During 2019, KaR-Tel LLC has invested in network modernization and the expansion of coverage in order to have 5G-ready infrastructure in Kazakhstan, ensuring the company can continue to provide its customers with the latest generation of connectivity services.