Russia’s Digital Development Ministry in talks with Apple on enabling 5G access
Russia’s Digital Development Ministry is in talks with Apple about enabling 5G for iPhone users in the country, ministry head Maksut Shadayev told the Russian state news agency RIA Novosti. He declined to elaborate.
Russia's Digital Development Ministry is engaged in discussions with Apple regarding the provision of 5G access for iPhone users in the country, according to Maksut Shadayev, the head of the ministry. The specific details of the negotiations were not disclosed by Shadayev. It was explained to RBC, a Russian business publication, that Apple enables 5G functionality at the firmware level for its devices following network testing and approval by carriers.
This avenue for collaboration was effectively terminated when Apple withdrew from the Russian market following the onset of the full-scale conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Apple does not sell its products officially in Russia; instead, they reach the country via parallel imports, and the company has no direct interactions with Russian mobile operators.
On September 11, the Digital Development Ministry announced the commencement of commercial fifth-generation (5G) networks in 16 cities across Russia, including Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Yekaterinburg. The ministry had stated that 5G would be available for Android devices but not for Apple smartphones.
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