Ministry of Digital Development Holds Talks with Apple on Enabling 5G on iPhone
The Ministry of Digital Development is in talks with Apple about enabling 5G on iPhones in Russia. Commercial networks were launched on September 11 in 16 cities, with about 10 million people gaining access.
The Russian Ministry of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media is in talks with Apple about the possibility of enabling fifth-generation networks for Russian iPhone users. This was reported by RIA Novosti, citing a statement by the head of the ministry, Maksut Shadaev.
"We are in talks with Apple, discussing the possibility of enabling 5G on the iPhone," the minister noted.
The negotiations began against the backdrop of the recent launch of the technology in Russia. On September 11, commercial fifth-generation communication networks went live in the country for the first time. In the first stage, 5G services are available in 16 Russian cities.
About 10 million people have gained access to mobile internet of the new standard. However, iPhone owners are so far largely unable to use the technology: Apple's smartphones require software-level activation of 5G support for a specific region, and Russia is not on that list.
Most Android devices do not have such a regional lock — users automatically gain access to fifth-generation networks provided they have a compatible smartphone, SIM card, and tariff plan.
Thus, the issue with Apple has become one of the first practical barriers the Russian market has faced since the launch of commercial 5G. The iPhone's share of Russia's smartphone installed base remains significant, and without enabling the technology on Apple devices, the coverage of the new communication remains limited.
What is already known about the 5G launch in Russia
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The commercial launch of fifth-generation networks took place on September 11, 2026.
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In the first stage, 5G went live in 16 cities.
About 10 million subscribers gained access to the technology.
The Ministry of Digital Development did not disclose a timeline for a possible resolution of the Apple issue or details of the negotiation process. The format in which 5G might be activated on iPhones in Russia — via an iOS update, a regional unlock, or other mechanisms — also remains unclear.
Source: AdIndex; Source: ria.ru
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