Russia’s telecom giant Rostelecom is in discussions with the Russian government to provide up to 2 million mobile devices running on the Aurora operating system, a domestic alternative to Western software.
The move comes as Russia accuses U.S. intelligence of hacking thousands of Apple phones for surveillance purposes. The Kremlin has been encouraging its employees to switch from iPhones to smartphones with a different operating system, and the government has been recommending the use of domestic platforms like VK and TrueConf instead of foreign services like Zoom and WhatsApp.
The Aurora operating system, developed by Rostelecom in 2016, is based on Linux and primarily designed for business and government use. It offers complete control over data processing and adheres to Russia’s government security guidelines.
The expansion of Aurora to healthcare and educational facilities was initiated by Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2020. Russia’s push for domestic technology is driven by concerns about sanctions imposed on Moscow due to the war in Ukraine, which have led to the departure of many tech companies from the country.
Rostelecom claims that the Aurora system is already in use by the Russian government and various state-connected businesses, including the national postal service, the state-owned railway company, and energy companies.
Over 500,000 devices running on Aurora have been produced since 2016, and the development cost of Aurora is projected to reach $6 billion by 2030. The desire for an independent mobile ecosystem is motivated by the potential impact of Western sanctions on critical Russian mobile applications, payments using Russian bank cards, and monetization, which has prompted Russia to seek alternatives that are free from foreign influence.
