According to TelecomDaily, 5G networks in Russia expanded to 27 cities within three weeks of the commercial launch on September 11, 2026. The data was verified by the agency through field measurements conducted by October 5.
MTS leads the market with 5G coverage in 21 cities. MegaFon and Beeline each operate in 11 cities, while T2 covers seven. All four major operators provide 5G services in Moscow, Saint Petersburg, and Yekaterinburg.
The network footprint grew by nearly 69% from the initial 16 cities at launch. Measurements were performed using certified TEMS Investigation and NEMO systems along routes covering city centers and major transport arteries.
The rapid rollout is attributed to technological neutrality, allowing operators to repurpose LTE frequencies for 5G. Additionally, each operator received 90 MHz in the 4.63–4.99 GHz (n79) band to support high-performance networks.