All mobile phones used in Russia will have to be equipped with receivers that have Glonass navigation system functionality, according to a directive drafted by the Communications and Press Ministry.
Glonass, a Russian state-sponsored alternative to the U.S. GPS navigation system, has prioritized expansion into mobile devices.
Manufacturers and sellers of mobile phones will be obliged to register declarations of compliance with the Federal Communications Agency, guaranteeing their observance of the requirements. The directive, which does not prohibit functionality with other navigation systems, is set to come into force in the first quarter of the next year, Digit.ru reported Thursday.