Mobile internet usage in Russia - statistics & facts
Russian consumers pay some of the lowest mobile data fees in Europe. In 2023, the average monthly price of one gigabyte in the country stood at 0.25 U.S. dollars. To compare, in Czechia, it exceeded three U.S. dollars. Standing at 245 million, mobile cellular subscriptions in Russia outnumber mobile broadband connections, which were estimated at 172 million in 2024.
Despite the challenges above, the number of mobile users in Russia is expected to increase in the following four years. Furthermore, the country's app downloads remain some of the highest worldwide as a growing share of the population embraces e-commerce and other digital services.
Large consumer base
With over 104 million mobile internet users, Russia has the largest mobile consumer base in Europe. That represents around 80 percent of the country's population. The penetration rate was forecast to increase gradually in the years until 2029. Russian children are avid smartphone users, which results in the youth spending the most daily time online on mobile devices. Social networking, gaming, shopping, performing mobile payments, and consuming media are some of the most popular web activities on mobile devices in Russia.Mobile cellular network technology
Most mobile cellular connections in Russia are 4G. The 5G technology has not been rolled out in the country, with several mobile operators testing it. The largest share of the population was covered by 2G networks, while the 4G coverage exceeded 88 percent. As in several other Central and Eastern European countries, Russian mobile operators are preparing for the 2G and 3G network switch-off. As of 2024, MTS and Beeline, the brand of Vimpelcom, have piloted 3G switch-off initiatives.The impact of the invasion of Ukraine
The war in Ukraine and subsequent Western sanctions had a negative impact on the Russian mobile telecommunications market, leading to the sale of Vimpelcom by Dutch Veon to the local management in January 2024. MTS, Russia's largest operator, sold its Armenian business. Furthermore, mobile apps of the companies that suspended their operations in Russia were not available in the country any longer. Significantly more users have been employing VPN to access the banned online resources, including Instagram and X (formerly Twitter). Three domestic app stores, RuStore, NashStore, and RuMarket, were launched in 2022.Despite the challenges above, the number of mobile users in Russia is expected to increase in the following four years. Furthermore, the country's app downloads remain some of the highest worldwide as a growing share of the population embraces e-commerce and other digital services.
