MTS officially launched its 5G network on September 11, 2026, across several major Russian cities. The deployment utilizes the 4.9 GHz band, specifically the n79 frequency, enabling connection speeds of up to 1.5 Gbps. Currently, this high-speed infrastructure is active in 23 locations in Moscow, 20 in St. Petersburg and Kronstadt, and single sites in Novosibirsk, Yekaterinburg, and Ufa.
The operator noted that the 4.63–4.99 GHz frequency range is not compatible with all mobile devices. To address this, MTS is also deploying 5G technology over existing LTE 2100 MHz bands. While the network is live, it does not provide continuous coverage; instead, the signal is concentrated in areas with the highest density of subscribers.
Beyond the initial cities, the 5G network has been deployed in central districts of Kazan, Krasnodar, Novorossiysk, Vologda, Murmansk, Petrozavodsk, Syktyvkar, Pskov, Anapa, Velikiye Luki, and Ukhta. All four major Russian mobile operators launched 5G services simultaneously on September 11.
The Ministry of Digital Development stated that the availability of 5G connectivity on iPhone devices remains dependent on decisions made by Apple. The current rollout focuses on providing increased network capacity and data speeds for both individual users and industrial business solutions.
