On March 17-18, 2026, the International Telecommunication Union held the "Future of Connectivity" Forum in Minsk. The event was organized at the invitation of the Belarusian State University of Informatics and Radioelectronics (BSUIR) with the support of Belarusian Cloud Technologies LLC.
The forum brought together more than 150 specialists representing the telecommunications administration, regulatory bodies, telecom operators, research organizations, and the private sector of the Republic of Belarus, becoming an important platform for exchanging experience and knowledge in the region.
The opening ceremony featured welcoming remarks from Evgeny Shneyderov, Vice-Rector of BSUIR; Oleg Sedelnik, General Director of Belarusian Cloud Technologies LLC; Nikita Klimovich, Consultant at the Ministry of Communications and Informatization of the Republic of Belarus; and Farid Nakhli, Programme Coordinator at the ITU Regional Office for CIS.
The forum programme was divided into thematic sessions covering a wide range of technologies. Experts discussed the evolution of access networks, including 5G deployment, 6G prospects, Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) technologies, and satellite communications (LEO, MEO, GEO), particularly Direct-to-Device solutions. Special attention was paid to optical technologies and the development of FTTx/GPON networks, where innovations in energy efficiency and 800G DCN interfaces from leading vendors were presented.
An important part of the event was the discussion of transport technologies, specialized scenarios, and network automation. Participants explored the role of IPv6 and Segment Routing protocols, the application of private 5G networks for enterprise automation, the use of drones and HIBS/HAPS platforms. The final session focused on artificial intelligence and autonomous networks, including the use of machine learning for traffic forecasting.
The forum was held within the framework of regional initiatives approved at the World Telecommunication Development Conference 2025 (WTDC-25) in Baku, contributing to the implementation of the CIS-1 initiative "Deployment of new and emerging telecommunication/ICT systems and networks."
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