According to Russian law, the LTE equipment developed and manufactured jointly by Nokia Siemens Network and Micran in Tomsk, Siberia, is not considered “Russian-made.”
This legal definition has prevented Vainakh Telecom, a telecom operator in the Republic of Chechnya, in Russia’s Northern Caucasus area, from launching its new 4G network because the network has been built using this equipment, the Siberian news agency TV2 reported last week.
The telecom equipment was developed by the Wireless Technology Center, a joint venture between Tomsk-based Micran and Nokia Siemens Network; the Russian company reportedly holds a 25% stake in the joint venture. However, to be considered Russian-made and cleared for use on Russian telecom networks, any piece of equipment must be produced by a company at least 50% owned by the Russian state or Russian nationals.
Russian business daily Vedomosti has reported plans by Rusnano, Russia’s nanotech giant, to orchestrate a deal with Micran and buy out 25% from the international venture partner to satisfy the legal provision. So far, however, there’s been no confirmation of any such plan.
The legal status of the advanced equipment remains unclear, and Vainakh Telecom is only permitted to use its new LTE network for “non-commercial purposes.”
