Code call: imported smartphones will not be able to work in Russian 5G networks
The connection of imported smartphones to Russian 5G networks will be possible only through domestic crypto algorithms, follows from the draft order of the Ministry of Digital Economy. But they are not supported by foreign manufacturers. While there is a transition period until 2032, domestic cryptographic protection should become a priority in the future. There is nothing to replace foreign smartphones and encryption algorithms today, the Ministry of Finance admits. How this restriction will affect users and the launch of 5G in Russia is in the Izvestia article.
Why there may be problems connecting to 5G networks
Russian operators of the 5G network, which is scheduled to be deployed in the country this year, will have to use the domestic NEA 7 encryption algorithm ("Grasshopper"). With its help, subscribers' smartphones will be connected to the base stations. Foreign algorithms SNOW (Europe), AES (USA) and ZUC (China) will be able to be used only until 2032, follows from the draft requirements for the use of fifth-generation base station equipment developed by the Ministry of Digital Economy (Izvestia has reviewed the document).
Thus, the agency's position regarding Russian and foreign 5G encryption algorithms has changed — an earlier version of the draft requirements (Izvestia reported on it at the end of November 2025) allowed the use of foreign algorithms without time limits.
The provision that information security mechanisms in 5G networks should work on domestic cryptographic algorithms is also contained in the "Concept for the construction of fifth-generation cellular networks in Russia." But in May 2025, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin instructed to work out the possibility of using domestic and international algorithms in communication networks to launch 5G.
Encryption algorithms remain one of the most acute problems when deploying 5G networks in the Russian Federation, market participants interviewed by Izvestia noted. Using exclusively Russian algorithms will lead to the fact that fifth-generation networks will be almost impossible to implement, and it is extremely difficult to find smartphones compatible with them, said one of the specialists in the planning and construction of cellular networks.
If it is technically possible to integrate domestic solutions into network equipment, then it is unlikely to be possible to convince global smartphone manufacturers to use them without formal consolidation in international standards, he added. In March 2022, all Russian organizations were excluded from the ETSI and 3GPP standardization bodies, which are responsible, among other things, for cryptographic algorithms of 5G networks.
The Ministry of Finance continues to work on the text of the draft order. Currently, the agency, together with the authorities responsible for ensuring security, is exploring the possibility of supporting not only domestic but also foreign cryptographic protection algorithms for 5G base stations, they said. However, if the phone supports Russian cryptography, it will be turned on as a priority, the ministry told Izvestia.
Such encryption can only be implemented in domestic equipment. However, there are not enough Russian base stations for fifth-generation networks yet, and no one has announced the development of domestic chipsets for 5G smartphones.
— Therefore, the launch of fifth-generation networks in the Russian Federation, scheduled for 2026, is possible at the first stage using foreign equipment using, respectively, foreign algorithms. At the same time, domestic cryptographic protection should become a priority in the future," the Ministry of Finance noted.
This decision will accelerate the development of 5G in Russia, as it will allow operators to provide services using imported base stations and smartphones that are already available on the market, the ministry stressed.
The mobile phone companies declined to comment or did not respond to requests from Izvestia. They also applied to most gadget manufacturing companies, in particular Apple and Samsung.
Additional difficulties will arise for vendors: new certification costs, changes in the production cycle, technological difficulties in implementation, software that has not been fully tested, and so on, the electronics manufacturer Fplus noted.
— A lot will depend on clarifying the requirements of the regulator. It is very important to understand in what form market players will receive these certified funds, whether they will be able to transfer them to equipment manufacturing partners in China, and how secret the entire process will be.
Why do we need domestic cryptoalgorithms?
The requirement to use domestic crypto algorithms in 5G networks may be primarily related to ensuring the security and support of Russian hardware and software suppliers, said Timofey Voronin, Deputy Director for Technology Transfer at the NTI Competence Center for Big Data Storage and Analysis Technologies at Moscow State University. According to him, the measure also reduces dependence on foreign solutions.
There is a risk that imported devices will not be able to connect to Russian 5G networks, he agrees.
— The Russian Federation currently does not produce subscriber equipment, so the 5G deployment plan may not be fully implemented. International suppliers can implement Russian solutions, but in this case firm guarantees of their consolidation in the market and standardization at the international level are required. At the same time, foreign smartphones make up the vast majority of mobile devices in the country, so this issue requires detailed study, the expert believes.
Switching to Russian cryptography looks like a very relevant and correct idea, but for its implementation it is necessary to ensure that foreign devices can also be connected to such networks, he believes. In his opinion, the problem can be solved only through direct negotiations with foreign vendors in order to implement our cryptography.
The fifth-generation network standard was developed 10 years ago, and no Russian company took part in it, said Leonid Konik, a partner at ComNews Research. Accordingly, encryption algorithms both at the standard level and for individual 5G subscriber devices were agreed without the Russian Federation.
— You can demand as much as you want from foreign manufacturers of network and user equipment to add encryption according to GOST, but hardly anyone will do it. The Russian Federation accounts for no more than 2% of the global market for cellular communications and mobile devices, and no one will make efforts for such a small share. There have already been such examples in the recent past: for example, the decree of the government of the Russian Federation dated August 2025, which required the pre—installation of Rustore and the Max messenger on all devices with the iOS operating system, their vendor, Apple, ignored, the expert recalled.
The lack of smartphones capable of working in Russian 5G networks will lead to subscribers having to settle for 3G or LTE services, explained Denis Kuskov, CEO of TelecomDaily. This will result in limited access to the fast Internet, which is orders of magnitude faster than that of the fourth generation. In addition, 5G is designed to remove some of the load from networks of older standards and make it possible, if not to increase, then at least not to reduce their speeds. So far, there are no applications that cannot work without 5G, but it's not a fact that they won't appear in principle, he added.
On the one hand, the introduction of domestic encryption algorithms is dictated by security considerations, on the other hand, the implementation of information protection requirements should not make it impossible to connect imported devices to domestic cellular networks, the expert believes. Therefore, it is logical that the draft order outlines a transition period until 2032 — vendors, Russian authorities and operators have time to agree on the terms of cooperation.
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