Moscow authorities expect that the 5G network will become part of the city’s normal infrastructure within the next few years.
September 29, 2019
While the United States banned Huawei for alleged espionage and asked its allies to do the same, Moscow has rolled out the red carpet for the Chinese tech company, letting it develop 5G networks in Russia.
Analysts say the move is as much a show of solidarity with Beijing against the US as it is a drive to bring ultra high-speed internet to Russian tech users.
This month, Huawei opened its first 5G test zone in Moscow in partnership with Russian operator MTS, with a view to rolling out the service to the rest of the capital.
When Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Russia in June at the height of Washington’s conflict with Huawei — Russia’s main operator MTS signed a contract with the Chinese company.
At the inauguration of the 5G zone in Moscow, the CEO of Russia’s branch of Huawei Zhao Lei praised the company’s activities in the country.
Zhao Lei added that Huawei, considered a world leader in 5G technology, plans to “lead in the development of 6G” in the future. Huawei is also the world’s second-largest smartphone company.
In the midst of a trade war and technological rivalry with China, the US has threatened to cut Huawei’s access to the US components and services it needs, such as the Android operating system that the company uses on its phones. Russia then promptly stepped in to offer its Aurora operating system to the Chinese group. According to the analyst, Aurora could become a “stepping stone” in the development for Huawei’s own OS.
