MTS Ready to Launch 5G in Russia

The Most Anticipated Telecom Milestone

The launch of 5G in Russia is widely seen as the most anticipated milestone across the telecom sector. For operators, it represents a step change in service quality, network capacity and latency performance. Several companies report that their technological preparations are largely complete. The remaining hurdle is the allocation of the necessary frequency spectrum.

In particular, mobile operator MTS has carried out extensive groundwork for 5G deployment. Since 2022, the company has invested approximately 30 billion rubles (about $360 million) in infrastructure modernization. These upgrades were designed in part to enable rapid activation of next-generation networks once spectrum becomes available. For 2026-2027, MTS has earmarked an additional 18 billion rubles (about $215 million) to further develop radio subsystems and transport networks nationwide.

“MTS is ready to launch immediately after a positive government decision on spectrum allocation. The timing does not depend on us. It will be determined by the frequency distribution process and the issuance of the relevant licenses,” the company said.

For 5G rollout, authorities are currently considering allocating spectrum in the 4400-4990 MHz range. MTS also noted that earlier investments increased the share of 5G-ready equipment across the country and prepared backhaul channels capable of supporting data speeds exceeding 1 gigabit per second.

Why does 5G look like a lifeline for operators? The reason is that 3G spectrum refarming is almost complete. It is no longer possible to significantly expand LTE capacity using those frequencies. Demand for mobile data grows every year, network loads increase and more devices connect to the network. Operators cannot fundamentally solve this capacity challenge without launching a new generation of mobile communications

Eldar Murtazin

Lead Analyst at Mobile Research Group

3G Moves Into History

Industry analysts argue that 5G deployment in Russia is inevitable. LTE networks are approaching their technological ceiling, while traffic loads continue to rise year after year.

One solution has been the gradual shutdown of 3G networks. The standard is now considered obsolete, and the number of devices that support only 3G is rapidly declining. Operators are therefore reallocating scarce spectrum resources from 3G to expand LTE coverage and capacity.

To date, MTS has refarmed 3G spectrum to LTE in 35 cities across 21 Russian regions. Major cities and regions where 3G networks have been switched off include Komsomolsk-on-Amur, Naberezhnye Chelny, Novosibirsk, St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region, Sochi and the Krasnodar Territory, and Yaroslavl. Company management expects a complete shutdown of 3G by 2027. During 2025, MTS decommissioned half of the remaining 3G base stations nationwide.

“The current pace of device upgrades and the positive experience of migrating customers to LTE support accelerating the reallocation of scarce spectrum to 4G and shutting down most third-generation base stations in 2026, leaving only limited 3G coverage in 2027,” explained MTS CEO Inessa Galaktionova.

Domestic 5G Hardware Enters the Picture

It is also worth recalling that last summer, Irteya, a company majority-owned by MTS, unveiled Russia’s first domestically developed 5G base station. The equipment operates on OpenRAN principles, in which part of the network functionality is virtualized and delivered via cloud-based services rather than handled entirely on-site at the base station.

Under this modular architecture, the mobile network effectively becomes a set of interoperable components: some units process radio signals, others manage network control functions and others handle connectivity to the broader internet. This approach reduces dependence on a single vendor, allows operators to select optimized solutions for specific deployment scenarios and accelerates network scaling.

Russia’s Ministry of Digital Development has stated that the country’s first commercial 5G networks should appear in 2026. The ministry is considering expanding the primary 5G spectrum band to 4400-4990 MHz. Previously, the 4800-4990 MHz range had been designated as the core band for next-generation deployment. However, that narrower range drew limited interest from operators due to operational constraints and higher associated costs.

According to current government plans, initial 5G launches in 2026 are expected in selected cities and districts, with broader consumer access in major metropolitan areas projected for 2027-2028.