This should already happen sometime. All technical capabilities are there. However, the operators of the Big Three - MTS, MegaFon and Beeline - at a meeting in the government opposed the introduction of embedded SIM-cards (eSim) technology in Russia, while the position of the operators at the meeting was supported by a representative of the FSB.
No, well, I understand that the FSB "watches over" everything there and is better reinsured for any reason, but since when …
… practically monopolists began to argue their unwillingness to do something by fearing the appearance of new players on the market. What am I talking about?
MTS, MegaFon and Beeline fear that the introduction of eSim technology will increase competition from virtual mobile operators and smartphone manufacturers. The FSB, in turn, is concerned about the difficulties of using domestic cryptography systems on eSim.
In principle, there is an option. In August 2018, the Ministry of Telecom and Mass Communications offered telecom operators to switch to SIM cards with encryption approved by the FSB and change them every 15 months. The operators said that it would take more than five billion rubles. Later it was reported that the development of the order to switch to SIM cards with domestic cryptography was stopped.