Russia's State Commission on Radio Frequencies (SCRF) has approved conditions for deploying 5G networks, granting Beeline, MegaFon, MTS and T2 free access to 90 MHz each in the 4.63–4.99 GHz band, along with permission to reuse frequencies previously allocated for LTE.
Operators may use foreign-made base stations installed before September 1, 2026. A phased transition to Russian equipment is to begin in 2027 and be completed by the end of 2031. According to the Digital Development Ministry, 5G networks should appear in cities with populations over one million "in the very near future," with coverage in the 4.63–4.99 GHz band due by the end of 2028.
Mass 5G adoption in Russia lags the world by roughly seven years: the first commercial networks launched in 2019, and by early 2026 global connections had reached 3.1 billion. In the EU, 5G coverage reaches 96.8% of households. In Russia, development was held back by the lack of dedicated frequencies and requirements to use domestically produced equipment.
Operators had requested the 3.4–3.8 GHz band, known as the "golden" range for its optimal balance between coverage and capacity, which accounts for about 80% of 5G launches worldwide. But in Russia those frequencies are occupied by security agencies and satellite communications. The proposed band around 4.8 GHz operators previously called suitable only as a supplementary range, and in February 2026 they declined to support an auction for these frequencies, deeming it unprofitable. In the end, the frequencies were handed out free of charge, but not the ones the market had asked for.
The physics of radio waves works against the chosen band: the higher the frequency, the smaller the coverage area. According to MTS estimates, in dense urban development a signal at 4.8–4.99 GHz travels roughly 300 meters. Comparable coverage would require 1.5–2 times more base stations, which, according to analyst Alexei Boiko, would increase costs by the same proportion.
For ordinary users, little will change in the near term. According to Boiko, only a few percent of smartphones in subscribers' hands are compatible with the allocated frequencies, and a "5G" icon will appear in the coming year at best in isolated locations within million-plus cities.