On January 11, 2024, a meeting of the Council on Strategic Projects under the President of the Republic of Belarus was held on the basis of the NAS of Belarus. The highest officials of the country, heads, specialists of state bodies and specialized organizations took part in its work.

The meeting was devoted to the formation of a consolidated position of the Council on the creation of an IMT-2020 (5G) mobile telecommunications network in Belarus. As Vladimir Gusakov, Chairman of the Council on Strategic Projects under the President of the Republic of Belarus, noted at the opening of the meeting, at the previous meeting, the approaches of regulators to the development of 5G communications were outlined based on two models they developed: "competitive" and "infrastructural". "As a result of the discussion at the Council meeting, in order to take into account the opinions of those interested as fully as possible, the Academy of Sciences formed a temporary working group, which included representatives of regulators, as well as the academic scientific community. The Working Group carried out an in-depth analysis of strategies, report materials, and additional requested information. An exchange of views and discussion of the strengths and weaknesses of the proposed models were organized in a face-to-face format at the site of the United Institute of Informatics Problems," Vladimir Gusakov stressed.

The proposals of the Council on Strategic Projects on the creation of an IMT-2020 (5G) mobile telecommunications network in the country were submitted for consideration by the Council members. Sergey Kasanin, Deputy Director General of the United Institute of Informatics Problems of the NAS of Belarus, made a report on this issue.

As a result of the discussion, the Council on Strategic Projects proposed to develop an "infrastructural" (centralized) model of 5G network development in the country, which implementation will be carried out by a single state regulator. In the near future, the main regulators will prepare a feasibility study for the project. The prepared materials will be sent to the Government for approval in order to make further suggestions of the Council to the Head of State.

The meeting also reviewed the Register of Project Initiatives. The Council on Strategic Projects has received a number of proposals. The Register has been compiled on their basis. As of today, there are 81 project initiatives in the Register. Most of the proposals received are at the level of ideas. The members of the Council will distribute them according to their level of significance. Thus, a kind of rating of initiatives will be formed. The top 10 project initiatives with the highest number of points will be eligible for inclusion in the Council's Work Plan for 2024.