The number of telecommunications operators in Russia decreased by 17% between July 2025 and July 2026. Currently, there are approximately 7,000 operators remaining in the country. The total number of active licenses held by these companies also fell by 17%, reaching 21,000.
Roskomnadzor attributes the decline to the closure of so-called paper networks that held licenses but did not provide actual services. According to industry experts, operators are required to begin service provision within two years of obtaining a license, or face revocation.
Market consolidation is driven by stricter regulatory requirements and increased operational costs. Since 2024, the state fee for a license has increased more than 100-fold, reaching 1 ₽ million. New regulations also include stricter data storage and cybersecurity standards.
Experts note that small regional providers are finding operations increasingly unprofitable. Furthermore, infrastructure and subscribers of companies that lose their licenses may be transferred to larger federal providers. Over the past seven years, the total number of telecom companies in Russia has dropped by more than 30%.
