The Russian telecom market is preparing to make a digital leap.

      14 November 2025 15:02 Economy

      The Russian telecom industry is undergoing a period of profound change. Against a backdrop of a difficult macroeconomic situation and geopolitical pressure, the sector must not only adapt but move to a qualitatively new level of development. According to MTS CEO Inessa Galaktionova, the market now has an opportunity to make a breakthrough and become the foundation of the data economy. She told this to Kommersant in an interview.

      She said that today operators around the world are facing the problem of commoditization — users are no longer satisfied with just minutes and gigabytes; they expect new services and value. This intensifies price competition and reduces profitability. This, in turn, requires operators to implement new solutions.

      The industry is also under internal pressure: high borrowing costs, sanctions that hinder access to technologies, a rise in cyberattacks, a shortage of specialists, and state tasks to ensure technological sovereignty.

      Nevertheless, over the past three years the market has not only survived but strengthened. Operators have learned to operate under pressure, maintained the pace of development, and managed to launch their own technological solutions. MTS, for example, has developed its own video communications platform, AI services for business, deployed AI agents into its infrastructure, and begun using domestically produced LTE base stations. The company is also taking its first steps toward hybrid satellite communications.

      Now the next stage is beginning — the transition to the "Telecom 2.0" concept. The essence of this model is the transformation of telecom companies into digital platforms.

      "For consumers, 'Telecom 2.0' will provide new services: personal AI assistants built directly into plans, real-time streaming speech translation from any language directly on the network, personal assistants that activate during a call, proactive AI-based fraud protection. Some of these solutions are in use, but most are yet to be implemented," Galaktionova said.

      But AI will not only be part of the customer experience; it will also be a tool for network management: analyzing load, detecting faults and fixing them in real time.

      For business, telecom will become a key partner in digitization: without reliable connectivity there can be no autonomous transport, smart cities, or robotic enterprises. And for the state, it is a pillar of technological sovereignty.

      "Here national projects, first and foremost 'Data Economy', are already generating demand for next-generation communications infrastructure," the expert added.

      NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" has a Telegram channel. Subscribe to stay informed about major events, exclusive materials and timely information. Copyright © 1999–2025 NIA "Nizhny Novgorod". When reprinting, a hyperlink to NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" is mandatory. This resource may contain 18+ materials.