Mishustin calls for faster shift to domestic equipment for Russia's 5G networks
In short
Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said Russia must speed up the transition to domestically made telecommunications equipment to create conditions for 5G networks, speaking at the Digital Solutions forum. He said the shift was needed for the new standard to work in Moscow, St Petersburg, Yekaterinburg and dozens of other cities, and that Russian producers are capable of it. TASS reported he said three companies have already produced more than 10,000 base stations.
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Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said Russia must accelerate the transition to domestically made telecommunications equipment in order to create conditions for the development of 5G networks. Speaking at the Digital Solutions forum, he said that for the new standard to operate in Moscow, St Petersburg, Yekaterinburg and dozens of other cities it was important to speed up the shift to domestic equipment, and expressed confidence that Russian manufacturers are capable of it, Kommersant reported and RIA Novosti and TASS also carried. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
TASS reported that, according to the prime minister, three companies have already produced more than 10,000 base stations. The TASS summary did not specify the type of base stations. [ 3 ]
Kommersant reported that 5G was officially launched in Russia in mid-September and is currently available to 10 million residents in 16 cities — all the million-plus cities except Voronezh. The same outlet reported that operators consider 5G will be more in demand among businesses than among individual subscribers, and that experts expect LTE to remain the basis of mobile internet for several more years given insufficient investment and operators' obligations. [ 2 ]
Kommersant described the move to domestic equipment as more than a simple replacement of base stations. It said there are two main approaches: full replacement of all operators' equipment, which requires setting up complex and costly mass production, or replacing only base stations, which creates compatibility problems with networks already in operation. Both options, it said, come with technical limitations. [ 2 ]
As of December 2025, Russian 5G equipment was already being developed, but most of its electronic components, including central processors and programmable logic integrated circuits, remained foreign, and the components needed for the required scale of network deployment could not be freely purchased, Kommersant reported. It said the shift to serial or large-scale serial production of domestic base stations was tied to the results of their commercial testing, and that such dependence on foreign parts increases the cost of the project. [ 2 ]
Why it matters
The call sets the pace for Russia's 5G rollout, which Kommersant says already covers 10 million residents in 16 cities but depends on equipment whose key components were foreign as of December 2025. How fast domestic base stations can be produced and made compatible with existing networks will determine whether the coverage expands beyond the current cities. Operators and experts cited by Kommersant expect demand to come mainly from businesses and LTE to remain the mainstay of mobile internet for several years.
Key facts
- Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said Russia needs to accelerate the transition to domestic telecommunications equipment to create conditions for 5G development. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Mishustin said the shift was important for the new standard to operate in Moscow, St Petersburg, Yekaterinburg and dozens of other cities. [ 2 ]
- Mishustin said he was confident Russian manufacturers can do it. [ 2 ]
- According to TASS, Mishustin said three companies have already produced more than 10,000 base stations. [ 3 ]
- Kommersant reported that 5G was officially launched in Russia in mid-September and is available to 10 million residents in 16 cities, all the million-plus cities except Voronezh. [ 2 ]
- Kommersant reported that operators consider 5G more in demand for business than for individual subscribers, and that experts expect LTE to remain the basis of mobile internet for several years because of insufficient investment and operators' obligations. [ 2 ]
- Kommersant reported that as of December 2025 most electronic components of Russian 5G equipment, including central processors and programmable logic integrated circuits, remained foreign. [ 2 ]
Confirmed by several sources
Still unclear
- Whether 5G currently reaches 10 million residents in 16 cities. Single-source claim reported only by Kommersant.
- What kind of base stations the three companies have produced and whether the more than 10,000 figure refers to 5G equipment. The figure appears only in TASS's summary of the prime minister's remarks and is not detailed further.
- Where the Digital Solutions forum took place. None of the documents states the location.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- RIA Novosti reports Mishustin's call to accelerate the transition to domestic equipment for 5G. [ 1 ]
- Kommersant publishes the prime minister's remarks, citing Moscow, St Petersburg, Yekaterinburg and dozens of other cities, with context on the rollout and component dependence. [ 2 ]
- TASS reports the same call and says three companies have already produced over 10,000 base stations. [ 3 ]