New Trunk Communications Link Connects Russia and China
A new trunk communications link jointly launched by MegaFon and China Telecom connects Khabarovsk with Hong Kong, significantly accelerating data exchange between the two countries.
Russia's internet segment continues to record steady growth in the use of international digital services. Efficient traffic routing is critical to their performance. The shorter the distance a signal travels, the faster online resources load and respond.
Fewer Delays
Russian operator MegaFon reached an agreement with China Telecom to establish a new trunk communications link between Khabarovsk and Hong Kong. The route recently entered service and has increased download speeds for Chinese online services accessed by users in Russia by several times.
"Following the launch of the new Khabarovsk – Hong Kong route, traffic is transmitted directly to China Telecom's infrastructure. This reduces latency and improves connection stability for services where delays are particularly noticeable, including messaging platforms, online marketplaces, gaming services and other digital applications. Thanks to the new route, response times have been reduced by more than threefold," MegaFon said in a statement.
The company also emphasized that the new trunk link forms part of a broader strategy to strengthen connectivity with Asia. MegaFon continues to establish direct data exchange routes with as many international partners as possible to provide stable access to widely used digital platforms such as WeChat, Baidu, Taobao, AliExpress and others.
Responding to Market Demand
MegaFon's initiative closely reflects broader market trends. IT industry participants and traffic exchange operators report continued growth in international traffic across Russian networks. During 2025, overseas traffic volumes increased by 15% to 20%. As of April 2026, international traffic accounted for approximately 30% of total network traffic.
"Contrary to forecasts predicting a sharp decline in cross-border data exchange during 2025 and early 2026, we have not observed any slowdown in international traffic," said Evgeny Morozov, CEO of Russia's largest internet exchange point, MSK-IX.
Industry experts also believe international traffic demand is unlikely to decline in the near future. As a result, it is increasingly advantageous for operators to establish partnerships with foreign counterparts to reduce network transit costs.
Connecting Europe and Asia
Russia is also implementing the large-scale Trans-Eurasian Fiber-Optic Communication Line project, TEA NEXT. The network will connect Russia's western and eastern borders while linking the country's largest cities and providing interconnection points at the Russia-Mongolia border, the Russia-China border and the submarine cable landing station in Nakhodka. One of the primary objectives of the approximately 11,000-kilometer TEA NEXT network is to improve international traffic availability and attract global telecommunications operators. Construction has entered its final stage, with initial test launches scheduled in the near future.
Other Operators Expand Cooperation with China
In March this year, mobile operator MTS reached a cooperation agreement with another Chinese telecommunications provider, China Mobile. One area of collaboration focuses on deploying autonomous network technologies across MTS infrastructure. Autonomous networks support highly reliable operation and scalable deployment of standalone 5G, enabling capabilities such as network slicing, which creates multiple virtual networks on a shared infrastructure for different customer requirements, as well as automated quality-of-service management.
It is becoming increasingly clear that Asia is emerging as a strategic priority for Russian telecommunications operators. Additional trunk communications links connecting Russia with China and providing access to Chinese markets are likely to follow. While the launch of a single route does not by itself resolve the broader challenge of international network resilience, it represents an important step toward diversifying Russia's telecommunications infrastructure.
