Russian mobile operators have started using domestic-manufactured 4G base stations in the country.

As reported by the Russian publication CNews, telecom operators received base stations from Spektr, a subsidiary of Rostec, for testing.

Russia is investing in domestic telecoms manufacturing due to sanctions against the country, following its illegal invasion of Ukraine, and high-profile vendors Ericsson and Nokia exiting Russia as a result.

The publication noted that VTK Mobile and Beeline are two of the operators that carried out testing of this equipment.

Spektr has been operating since 2021, noted CNews, during which time the company has created four models of base stations.

The government has previously outlined plans to conduct pilot testing of 5G networks using Russian-built base stations in 2025. 5G has yet to launch in the country.

According to CNews, the development of base stations has been carried out by Russian company Spektr from the state corporation Rostec.

It notes that a source close to the Russian Government claims that the company managed to purchase components in a volume sufficient for the production of 60 such stations, though it was not specified which components were purchased and in which countries.

“They are successfully integrated and work in the environment of base stations from other manufacturers. Thus, the Spektra equipment is compatible and can interact with the existing equipment of mobile operators,” Rostec told CNews.

A range of base stations have been developed by the company, operating in the 800, 1,800, and 2,600MHz frequency bands.

Another operator, Rostelecom, is expected to join testing of the base stations, but MegaFon does not have a contract with Spektr as of yet.

Last week Voentelecom announced that it is planning to launch its 4G LTE service in the Russian-occupied region of Crimea, Ukraine, using 4G LTE base stations developed by Russian state-backed conglomerate Rostec.