Russia has developed a draft target program “Development of manufacturing industrial products of the fifth generation networks and the IoT in the Russian Federation for 2019-2024”, under which it is planned to spend about 28 billion rubles on creation of the Russian equipment and software for 5G networks and IoT, RBC reported. 

As part of the first phase of the program in 2019–2021, companies will have to carry out a comprehensive scientific-research and experimental-constructive activities necessary for the development of equipment and software.

During the second stage in 2022-2024, it is planned to start manufacturing of these products, as well as to organize its use on the networks of Russian and foreign cellular operators.

In particular, companies will have to set up production of micro and macro-base stations for various frequency bands, switches for various types of networks, operational search systems and other network equipment, as well as 5G modules for smartphones and various user devices and SIM cards of new standards (USIM/ISIM). In addition, the program provides for the development of digital IoT platforms and a software line for managing and monitoring 5G networks.

The cities of Astana, Tashkent and Yerevan were selected as priority foreign markets until 2024, “the network deployment models in which were chosen by similar models for the average million-plus city of Russia excluding Moscow”.

Earlier, Shavkat Mirziyoyev pointed out the need to accelerate introduction of 5G in Uzbekistan, but now the 4G penetration rate is only 8.7%. The bulk of the population uses 2G (33.9%) and 3G (31.4%).