Mobile operators have begun testing telecom equipment from second-tier manufacturers from India, Israel and China in Russia. In general, it meets the requirements of Russian operators, but requires solving problems of compatibility with cellular networks already built in the country. According to Kommersant, according to operators, potential partners are already ready to invest in refining their solutions, but will try not to advertise cooperation with businesses in the Russian Federation.
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According to Alexander Sivolobov, Deputy Head of the Skoltech-based NTI Competence Center for Wireless Communications and the Internet of Things, operators have already begun testing equipment from second-tier Chinese manufacturers that are not related to Huawei and ZTE structures, as well as solutions from India and Israel. According to him, such products will remain a reserve option as an alternative to future domestic solutions and will motivate Russian businesses to produce products at a high level.
According to Kommersant, information about the import of base stations from the Japanese vendor JRC, the Taiwanese HTC Corporation, and Telrad from Israel into Russia was found in the unified register of certificates of conformity.
The fact of testing telecom equipment from different countries is confirmed by MegaFon and Tele2, emphasizing that compatibility issues with existing networks have to be resolved. At the same time, according to sources, vendors are ready to invest in the creation of products with the desired characteristics. It is necessary to adapt to domestic operating conditions, ensure the stability of work, technical support and training of local specialists. The willingness to cooperate is reassuring as Nokia, Ericsson and Huawei have stopped deliveries, causing new cellular base station installations to drop by more than 60% in 2022 compared to 2021.
So far, according to the Russian authorities, there is no shortage of equipment in the country, since there are still large stocks in warehouses, and Yadro Group has already acted among the executors of the project for the development of domestic mobile networks, having entered into forward contracts with MegaFon, VimpelCom and Rostelecom. It is expected that mass production will begin in 2025, and the use of alternative foreign equipment, according to experts, can increase costs and affect the final cost and quality of communication.
However, Deputy Head of the Ministry of Industry and Trade Vasily Shpak has already stated at the Tsifrotech forum that the niche vacated after the departure of foreign vendors “should be occupied by domestic companies”, and industry experts emphasize that companies like Indian and Israeli are unlikely to be able to provide a full replacement for previously used vendor solutions «first echelon» due to lack of experience in creating integrated mobile solutions and skills to support foreign partners.
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