The Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) has harshly criticized 5G advertising. As Kommersant found out after reviewing the expert council's protocol, the agency officially recommended that operators stop misleading subscribers about a technology that has not yet been implemented in Russia. Marketing campaigns promising access to fifth-generation communication have been recognized as creating a false impression.
Not only 5G commercials were affected. The service drew attention to "VimpelCom's" ("We Pay for Incoming Calls") and "MegaFon's" ("Tariff Marketplace") promotions, seeing in them "signs of unfair behavior." Operators were given until July 3 to change the terms of promotion, otherwise they face antitrust cases.
The claims against 5G are based on a harsh technical reality: the 4.8–4.99 GHz band allocated in the Russian Federation requires 1.5–2 times more base stations than standard frequencies, and coverage and subscriber equipment for it are practically non-existent. In fact, FAS recorded that what is being sold under the guise of a technological breakthrough is hot air, and revoked marketers' right to pass off wishful thinking as reality.