So Networks Stay Connected: MegaFon Opens Network Technology Lab in Samara
At Povolzhsky State University of Telecommunications and Informatics (PSUTI), future network engineers simulate outages, identify backup routes and configure security measures.
Telecommunications experts have long pointed to a wide gap between what students learn at university and how networks actually operate. A new initiative launched by MegaFon and Povolzhsky State University of Telecommunications and Informatics (PSUTI) aims to narrow that gap. On October 28, the university opened a dedicated network technology lab in Samara, at its Department of Communication Systems and Networks. The lab is equipped with a hardware and software platform that can recreate enterprise and telecom carrier networks and test how they perform under different configurations. Graduates who complete this hands-on training are expected to be prepared for demanding engineering roles.
Simulating Outages and Restoring Service
The lab trains engineers to design, administer and secure critical information infrastructure. Its hardware and software platform lets students simulate failures on communications links, practice switching to backup optical routes and observe how networks behave during disruptions. Equipment and local-area network connections are monitored using Russian-developed management systems.
Another focus is network administration and security. Students learn how to deploy and scale networks, manage access permissions and network services, and configure data routes. They also practice dividing networks into virtual segments, restricting access to resources and prioritizing latency-sensitive services.
Industry Experts Become Instructors
The PSUTI initiative builds on earlier efforts to bring more hands-on training into telecommunications education. In 2022, MTS and Yugra State University agreed to establish a wireless communications technology lab where students would study base stations, microwave radio links, and LTE and 5G Ready networks.
In 2023, eight labs opened at a vocational school within Sirius University with support from Rostelecom, Rosatom, Gazprom Neft and Astra Group. A year later, Basalt SPO, Eltex and Novotekh joined forces to develop the university-level competency area of Network and Systems Administration.
In April 2025, Basalt SPO opened a lab at Siberian State University of Telecommunications and Information Sciences (SibSUTIS) where students could learn to administer IT infrastructure running on the Russian-developed Alt family of operating systems. In November of that year, Rostelecom established a training classroom at Rostov-on-Don College of Communications and Informatics as part of its Bazovaya Stantsiya (Base Station) federal project. The facility includes GPON, FTTB and ADSL network segments. In December, EcoRouter opened a data transmission networks lab at Gubkin University, which serves more than 100 students a year.
In January 2026, LETI launched an advanced wireless technologies lab equipped with LTE/5G test setups.
Against this backdrop, MegaFon’s new lab at PSUTI is a logical next step. Andrey Krishtofovich, MegaFon’s director of transport network development, said the university plays a key role in training talent for Russia’s telecommunications industry. “Hundreds of PSUTI graduates are now part of the MegaFon team, from promising young professionals to highly qualified engineers and department heads. What’s more, our own experts are also stepping into the classroom as instructors. By opening this training lab, we are making a strategic investment in the future of the entire telecommunications industry.”
PSUTI graduates account for 9% of the operator’s technical workforce. Since September 1, 2026, 115 students have been enrolled in updated bachelor’s degree programs under the TOP-IT START (Top IT Start) bachelor's program, developed with the participation of MegaFon's team.
Reconfigurable Training Systems
By the end of 2025, Russian mobile operators had 948,000 base stations in operation, according to the Ministry of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media. That was 77,000 more than a year earlier, and more than half of the stations supported LTE (4G). As networks expand, so does demand for engineers who can install base stations, monitor their performance and maintain them.
Replacing foreign technology with domestic alternatives is another important consideration. Last year, MegaFon signed a contract with YADRO for 1,500 BTS8100 base stations supporting GSM and LTE, along with YADRO NMS network management software. Then, in August, the Ministry of Digital Development announced that it had approved the terms for 5G development. The transition to Russian-made base stations will take place in stages, starting in 2027 and expected to be completed by the end of 2031. PSUTI’s lab could become a place where students gain hands-on experience with Russian-made routers and network monitoring systems.
There is another promising possibility involving outage simulation and network security. Over time, training systems like these could evolve into digital models of live networks and be used to teach students how to respond to cyber incidents.
