PRESS: Operators think demand to use local equipment to delay 5G

MOSCOW, Jun 18 (PRIME) -- A working group of Russian autonomous non-commercial organization Digital Economy, comprising connection operators, has blocked adding to federal project Information Infrastructure a requirement to build 5G networks on domestic equipment, business daily Kommersant reported on Thursday.

The business warns that if the requirement is adopted, 5G would not appear in the country till 2024, and Russia would lag significantly behind the world leaders not only in telecommunications, but also in other industries. The experts see a compromise in localization of foreign companies.

The Digital Development Ministry wants 5G to be launched on domestic equipment in 2024 in 10 cities with more than one million people.

The group’s head, President of the Big Data Association Anna Serebryanikova said that the people and business should have an opportunity to use 5G already from 2021 because of the technology’s social importance.

The ministry’s proposal assumes a delay in full-fledged services for the producing sector of the economy until 2025, Serebryanikova said.

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