State-owned Russian vendor Rostec has begun developing 5G equipment and is seeking to commence production domestically via international partnerships.
The company’s director for international cooperation and regional policy Victor Kladov said: “We are making developments in the field of 5G and are interested in partnerships with foreign manufacturers, such as from India and China. We are striving to create conditions for beneficial development and production of advance products in Russia.”
The state-run firm was founded in 2007 and proclaims its mission as “facilitating the development, manufacture and export of high-tech industrial products for both civil and military purposes.” It notes that it already provides “competitive” 4G equipment, adding that its 5G kit will comply with 3GPP standards.
Rostec’s move towards 5G equipment may be a strategic play to present itself as a viable option for operators as one of the major vendors – Huawei – becomes increasingly mired in security concerns. Rostec was reported last November to be exploring the creation of a 5G consortium with Russian operators MegaFon and Rostelecom, but little else has been disclosed relating to this.
However, Rostec is not the only company looking to establish itself as a major supplier of 5G equipment. Vietnam’s market leading operator Viettel is reportedly aiming to branch out by developing core 5G tech, and is aiming to produce 80% of this domestically by 2020.
These firms are likely looking to capitalise on the security concerns surrounding Chinese companies such as Huawei and ZTE, both of which have been hit with trading restrictions in certain markets, including Australia, Japan, New Zealand and the USA.
