Russia's Digital Ministry in talks with Apple to enable 5G for iPhones
Russia's Digital Development Ministry is negotiating with Apple to enable 5G access for iPhone users in the country. Cooperation with the company was cut off after Apple left the Russian market following the start of the war.
Russia's Digital Development Ministry is holding talks with Apple about enabling 5G for iPhone users in the country, ministry head Maksut Shadayev told state news agency RIA Novosti. He did not provide further details.
A technical hurdle
Experts told Russian business outlet RBC that Apple typically activates 5G on its devices at the firmware level, but only after network testing and approval from a carrier. That cooperation channel was effectively cut off when Apple exited the Russian market following the start of the full-scale war between Russia and Ukraine.
Apple does not officially sell its products in Russia — devices reach the country through so-called parallel imports — and the company has no direct dealings with Russian mobile carriers.
New 5G networks
On September 11, the Digital Development Ministry announced the launch of commercial 5G networks in 16 Russian cities, including Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Yekaterinburg. At the time, the ministry said 5G would be available for Android devices but not for Apple smartphones.
