The Russian cellular network market is divided among a few foreign suppliers, mostly along geographical lines due to the way it developed over the last few decades. The development of 5G networks in Russia, however, has wiped the slate clean. Regulatory requirements present foreign companies with new rules of the game that would require them to start from scratch. Some companies have lost their former competitive advantages, while others have gained an opportunity to win over a significant share of the market. Several economic and political factors put China’s Huawei and ZTE in a strong position, but despite the close partnership between Moscow and Beijing, the Russian authorities are not about to bestow exclusive preferences on the Chinese telecom giants.