Moscow (AFP) – Russia announced Friday that it was rolling out its long-delayed 5G mobile network, but that iPhone users would be unable to connect until Apple coordinated the move with Moscow. The Russian government first announced plans for 5G internet in 2019, but Russia’s powerful Security Council blocked the move over concerns it would overlap with frequencies used by military and security agencies, according to Russian media reports.
The rollout comes amid widespread frustration in Russia at repeated internet blackouts introduced to counter Ukrainian drones, which authorities say use mobile internet to navigate. “5G services have gone live in 16 cities, providing approximately 10 million people with access to high-speed fifth-generation mobile internet,” Russia’s digital ministry said in a statement. But the restriction on iPhones means tens of millions of Russians — as many as one in four mobile users — would potentially be cut off from the technology.
Apple pulled out of the Russian market following Moscow’s Ukraine offensive in 2022. While newer iPhone models can connect to 5G, enabling the service would require the US tech giant to coordinate with Russian mobile operators, the Russia-based AppleInsider.Ru blog reported. It is not clear whether Apple would authorise such a move. “In the very near future, users with Android-based devices in these cities will be able to access these services. Access to 5G for iPhone users depends on a decision by Apple,” the digital ministry added.
About 24 percent of subscribers on Russia’s Megafon mobile network at the beginning of 2026 were iPhone users, Megafon said in April. Russians told AFP they were pleased with the rollout. Irina, a 29-year-old saleswoman in Moscow said: “Finally! Before, everything was, well, very slow.”
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