Switching Russian citizens to a mobile ecosystem based on the Aurora operating system will cost the country’s taxpayers 480 billion roubles. Rostelecom owns this project which is forecasted to be accomplished by 2030.
Approximately 70 million Aurora OS-based smartphones and tablets will be manufactured for the citizens’ use.
Rostelecom believes that the decision was made to prevent the threat in case Russia is being disconnected from Apple and Google services. According to the Russian newspaper ‘Kommersant‘, it is likely that smartphone manufacturing will be contracted with China.
The domestic provider plans to release a wide range of devices cooperating with local electronics manufacturers – GS Group, Scientific Research Institute “Mashtab”, F+ and others. The funds will be allocated from the Digital Economy national program budget and the Digital Public Administration federal project. The funding will be concentrated on creating and increasing the country’s infrastructure, procurement of devices, OS installment, and software, providing technical support for the ecosystem, staff salary payments, etc. It is expected that in the first year, the revenue from sales will reach 28 billion roubles.
The document states that it was approved by the government of the Russian Federation. However, Kommersant highlighted that currently, it is an interim decision.
The process is explained as follows:” The passport is submitted to the Ministry of Digital Development, which sends the document to the group of experts, which makes conclusions and recommendations. After that, the project is submitted for consideration by the grant committee, whose role is played by the Russian Foundation for the Development of Information Technologies (RFRIT). Its decision is sent to the government’s digital development commission”, said Kommersant.
По словам главы ЦКР по “Операционным системам” Алексея Смирнова, рабочая группа уже одобрила проект. Однако другой источник “Коммерсанта” сказал, что получение этого статуса еще не означает гарантированного получения финансирования.
Alexey Smirnov, the head of the Central Committee on Operational Systems, the working group has already approved the project. However, another Kommersant source said that receiving this status does not yet mean guaranteed funding.
According to Alexey Smirnov, who is the head of the Central Committee on Operational Systems, the group of experts has already approved the project. However, another Kommersant source mentioned that receiving the approved status does not guarantee the funding.
