New Domestic Radio Communication Standards to Take Effect in Russia

Starting February 1, new domestic standards for professional mobile radio communication will come into effect in Russia. This was reported to RBC by a representative of NITs Telecom (formerly NIIR, one of Russia’s leading radio technology research institutes). The organization, together with several security agencies, Russian Railways, Gazprom, other major companies, and Russian developers of digital professional mobile radio communication equipment, was involved in creating these new standards.

Who Will Use the New Standards?

The new rules apply to communication via radios and similar devices, according to the NITs representative. Such communication is used by security agencies, industrial, fuel and energy, and transportation companies, as well as emergency medical and rescue services. The group of new communication standards was approved by Rosstandart at the end of December 2024.

Implementation and Recommendations

The NITs Telecom representative noted that, under current law, national standards are advisory in nature. However, he added that “the possibility of introducing a number of measures” is being considered to encourage users to switch to communication devices that comply with the new standards.

Current Situation and Technical Details

The source explained that various mobile communication standards are currently used in Russia, including DMR, APCO 25, IDAS/NXDN, and dPMR. Most networks are built on foreign equipment using the DMR standard, which leads to incompatibility between devices from different manufacturers.

He emphasized that the new Russian standard is based on DMR, with modifications to address compatibility issues. It includes a domestic authentication and information masking algorithm, SORM requirements, and the ability to customize software for users’ needs.