The analyst admitted an increase in operator costs when switching to Russian SIM cards

The transition of Russian telecom operators to fully domestic SIM cards will be a logical stage in the technological independence of the industry, although in the near future it may be accompanied by an increase in costs. Igor Rastorguev, a leading analyst at AMarkets, told Izvestia on December 1.

He recalled that a similar situation had already arisen in 2022, when operators were forced to switch from European suppliers to Asian manufacturers.

"However, for example, Micron has already completed testing of fully domestic SIM cards, which confirms its technical readiness. Although the capacity is still insufficient, the plant can produce a maximum of 20 million cards per year, while operators need 70-100 NM.Tech will begin developing chips only in 2026, and mass production is planned for 2028," said Rastorguev.

According to him, there will be no noticeable rise in the price of SIM cards for subscribers. Operators are already partially compensating for the cost increase, since from 2022 they charge 50 rubles per card when connected, and therefore a further increase in cost is unlikely to be significant. The analyst said that the cost of SIM cards occupies a small share in the total budget of operators, and as the production of Russian chips expands, their price will gradually decrease - this is a natural effect of any import substitution process. He also mentioned that Megafon already carries out more than half of its purchases at the expense of domestic products, and MTS reports on a "significant part" of Russian SIM cards in its shipments.

"Competition in the market will remain healthy. We have four large operators with a total base of about 300 million active SIM cards, and all of them are on equal terms. The transition to Russian solutions is happening for everyone at the same time, so no one will gain competitive advantages. Moreover, the development of our own production in the future will reduce dependence on external supplies and price fluctuations in the Asian market. I would say that this is an investment in the stability of the industry," the expert concluded.

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On the same day, the Ministry of Finance told Kommersant that from September 2026, telecom operators will not be able to purchase foreign SIM cards. Companies will have to use only cards manufactured in the Russian Federation, using Russian software and cryptography. At the same time, the criteria by which SIM cards can be recognized as domestic have not yet been determined. Most manufacturers now use foreign chips for SIM cards, which are cheaper than their Russian counterparts.

Prior to that, on November 28, the Ministry of Digital Affairs reported that telecom operators in Russia had introduced a verification mechanism for foreign SIM cards, whose services are blocked upon entry into the country. During the registration of the card in the network of the Russian operator, the user will receive an SMS with verification through the addition of a puzzle or the selection of a picture with an object.