OREANDA-NEWS  The volume of communication base stations imported into Russia and their components, such as transceivers, remote radio units, and radio modules, has grown by 15% in physical terms and 56% in monetary terms, according to Kommersant, citing customs statistics. Most of the manufacturers of this equipment are world leaders in the industry, including Huawei, Ericsson, and Nokia. However, according to a source close to operators, these companies have cooled off on Russian products produced under the import substitution policy, and parallel imports are sufficient for them at the moment.

Another interlocutor of the publication noted that the price of stations and components has significantly increased. This means that purchases are made in a retail format, so commissions, transportation costs, and other expenses have risen, but there are no longer any discounts for bulk purchases. Even used equipment costs significantly more than new equipment.As noted in the article, operators purchased as much equipment as possible in the first quarter of 2022. However, during the second quarter, they faced a shock period when supplies were almost frozen due to sanctions. Despite this, some supplies were partially resumed in 2023, so there are still enough stocks available to meet urgent needs.

A supplier source adds that it is easier to import components rather than base stations. Additionally, additional radio units can be used to increase the capacity of a base station. At present, the main focus is on expanding the capacity of existing sites rather than building new ones. Furthermore, operators have stopped making stock purchases.
Late last year, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko warned that telecom operators will not be allowed to increase tariffs beyond the inflation rate. The Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) will monitor this.