Major mobile cellular operators in Russia 2023, by subscribers

MTS was the largest mobile cellular network provider in Russia in 2023, counting over 81 million subscribers. The second-leading operator was MegaFon, whose subscriber count was measured at approximately 68 million.

Key figures of MTS

Headquartered in Moscow, MTS, or Mobile TeleSystems, operates not only on the territory of Russia but also has numerous subscribers in Belarus and Armenia. Apart from the cellular network, MTS offers local telephone services, broadband, mobile, cable, satellite, and digital television. Moreover, this is one of the few companies in Russia that has started deploying the 5G technology as of 2024, though in a limited capacity. In 2021, this provider was named the second-highest earning telecommunication company in Russia, with the revenue exceeding 606 billion Russian rubles. 

Mobile network coverage in Russia

In general, almost every cellular network provider in Russia offers its services in 2G, 3G, 4G, and Long-Term Evolution (LTE) standards, with the 4G technology occupying the largest share of the total mobile connections in the country. Nevertheless, the second-generation mobile network, or 2G, covered over 98 percent of the population. Furthermore, according to the Statista Global Consumer Survey, the majority of Russians were satisfied with their mobile carrier.