Authorities have restricted the supply of satellite communications equipment, and now the market is wondering whether the measure will affect the usual phones of Apple, Google and Samsung.
The new ban on the import of satellite equipment to Russia at first looks like a point blow to Starlink terminals and similar systems, but the wording of the resolution opens a more unpleasant issue for the gadget market. Under restrictions, theoretically, they can try to bring not only individual satellite terminals, but also modern smartphones, in which communication functions with satellites have already appeared.
The Russian government has banned the import of electronic means intended for the transmission and reception of radio waves from foreign space objects of communication, if for such equipment there is no decision of the State Commission on Radio Frequencies on the allocation of radio frequency bands. The document was signed on April 29, the ban is valid for six months, and the FCS and the FSB should monitor the execution. In the official logic, the measure is related to the protection of national security, and the main practical addressee looks obvious: Starlink terminals and other foreign satellite communication systems.
Legal risk increases another detail. The resolution introduces such equipment to the list of strategically important goods and resources for the purposes of Article 226.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation on smuggling. According to the "Profile", criminal liability can occur with the illegal import of goods in the amount of 100 thousand rubles. For an ordinary buyer sounds abstract, but the price tag of one flagship smartphone easily passes such a threshold.
The reason for the alarm is due to the fact that satellite communication has ceased to be a rare function for special equipment. Apple supports Emergency SOS via satellite on the iPhone 14 and newer models, Google points out a satellite SOS for Pixel since the Pixel 9, and Samsung has been developing satellite communication on individual Galaxy smartphones since 2025, including reporting and data transmission in partnership with operators.
But to say that Russia has already banned the import of iPhone, Google Pixel and Samsung Galaxy, so far it is impossible. The annex to the Regulation lists specific HS codes of the FEA: 8517 61 000 2, 8517 61 000 8, 8517 62 000 9 and 8517 69 900 0. Smartphones usually pass through a separate code of 8517 13 000 0, which is directly described as “smartphones” and is not specified in the list of the resolution. The application itself also requires taking into account the code of HS, and the name of the goods, which reduces the likelihood of automatic spread of the ban on mass phones.
The main uncertainty remains in customs and law enforcement interpretation. The modern iPhone, Pixel or Galaxy is not a Starlink terminal in the usual sense, but individual models are technically able to communicate with the satellite network in emergency scenarios or through operator services. With a strict approach, the very possibility of receiving and transmitting a signal through foreign satellites can cause questions at the border, especially if officials will look not only at the product code, but also at a description of the functions of the device.
For buyers and suppliers, now the key issue is not in the characteristics of smartphones, but in the explanations of regulators. If the FCS and the relevant departments expressly confirm that the resolution concerns only specialized satellite terminals, the smartphone market will almost not feel the restriction. If a wide interpretation wins, parallel imports, personal import of expensive models and service deliveries of devices, where satellite functions have already become part of a standard security kit, can be hit.
So far, it is more reliable to consider the obvious zone of risk to Starlink terminals, satellite modems, communication stations and similar equipment without GKRH permits. Mass smartphones remain in the gray zone of rumors and legal concerns, not in the list of directly banned devices. But the dispute itself shows how quickly the old customs formulations begin to cling to the new electronics: a function that manufacturers sold as a means of salvation in the mountains or on a networkless route can suddenly turn into a subject of attention of customs and law enforcement agencies.
The new ban on the import of satellite equipment to Russia at first looks like a point blow to Starlink terminals and similar systems, but the wording of the resolution opens a more unpleasant issue for the gadget market. Under restrictions, theoretically, they can try to bring not only individual satellite terminals, but also modern smartphones, in which communication functions with satellites have already appeared.
The Russian government has banned the import of electronic means intended for the transmission and reception of radio waves from foreign space objects of communication, if for such equipment there is no decision of the State Commission on Radio Frequencies on the allocation of radio frequency bands. The document was signed on April 29, the ban is valid for six months, and the FCS and the FSB should monitor the execution. In the official logic, the measure is related to the protection of national security, and the main practical addressee looks obvious: Starlink terminals and other foreign satellite communication systems.
Legal risk increases another detail. The resolution introduces such equipment to the list of strategically important goods and resources for the purposes of Article 226.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation on smuggling. According to the "Profile", criminal liability can occur with the illegal import of goods in the amount of 100 thousand rubles. For an ordinary buyer sounds abstract, but the price tag of one flagship smartphone easily passes such a threshold.
The reason for the alarm is due to the fact that satellite communication has ceased to be a rare function for special equipment. Apple supports Emergency SOS via satellite on the iPhone 14 and newer models, Google points out a satellite SOS for Pixel since the Pixel 9, and Samsung has been developing satellite communication on individual Galaxy smartphones since 2025, including reporting and data transmission in partnership with operators.
But to say that Russia has already banned the import of iPhone, Google Pixel and Samsung Galaxy, so far it is impossible. The annex to the Regulation lists specific HS codes of the FEA: 8517 61 000 2, 8517 61 000 8, 8517 62 000 9 and 8517 69 900 0. Smartphones usually pass through a separate code of 8517 13 000 0, which is directly described as “smartphones” and is not specified in the list of the resolution. The application itself also requires taking into account the code of HS, and the name of the goods, which reduces the likelihood of automatic spread of the ban on mass phones.
The main uncertainty remains in customs and law enforcement interpretation. The modern iPhone, Pixel or Galaxy is not a Starlink terminal in the usual sense, but individual models are technically able to communicate with the satellite network in emergency scenarios or through operator services. With a strict approach, the very possibility of receiving and transmitting a signal through foreign satellites can cause questions at the border, especially if officials will look not only at the product code, but also at a description of the functions of the device.
For buyers and suppliers, now the key issue is not in the characteristics of smartphones, but in the explanations of regulators. If the FCS and the relevant departments expressly confirm that the resolution concerns only specialized satellite terminals, the smartphone market will almost not feel the restriction. If a wide interpretation wins, parallel imports, personal import of expensive models and service deliveries of devices, where satellite functions have already become part of a standard security kit, can be hit.
So far, it is more reliable to consider the obvious zone of risk to Starlink terminals, satellite modems, communication stations and similar equipment without GKRH permits. Mass smartphones remain in the gray zone of rumors and legal concerns, not in the list of directly banned devices. But the dispute itself shows how quickly the old customs formulations begin to cling to the new electronics: a function that manufacturers sold as a means of salvation in the mountains or on a networkless route can suddenly turn into a subject of attention of customs and law enforcement agencies.
