MegaFon and YADRO launched the first domestic base station in a million-strong city.

      On May 18, 2026, at 10:08, MegaFon, in collaboration with the Russian telecommunications equipment manufacturer YADRO (part of the IKS Holding), launched the first domestic base station in the metropolis into commercial operation. The solution operates in the historic center of Nizhny Novgorod and provides residents and tourists with access to fast mobile internet and reliable voice communication. The presentation of the equipment's operation took place during the "Digital Industry of Industrial Russia" conference on May 18.

      The Russian base station operates in the mid-frequency range of 1800 MHz and supports mobile internet speeds of up to 110 Mbps. The coverage area includes popular locations among locals and tourists: the Nizhnevolzhskaya embankment and the Fedorovskaya embankment, as well as the territory of the Blagoveshchensky Monastery, Kanavinsky Bridge, and Rozhdestvenskaya Street, where tourists can enjoy views of the Volga and attend events of the "Capital of Sunsets" festival.

      "Our base station provides the required parameters of stability and quality, as well as supports all GSM and LTE standards in key frequency bands. Additionally, the platform architecture is 5G-Ready, meaning that at any moment the software can be updated, and a transition to fifth-generation networks can be made without dismantling the equipment," emphasized Yulia Klebanova, Director of Telecommunications Development at YADRO.

      As part of the contract, MegaFon will gradually receive 1,500 YADRO BTS8100 base stations, as well as the YADRO NMS network management system, controllers, and other necessary components.

      "Before launching the base station on the MegaFon network in Nizhny Novgorod, the equipment underwent a series of laboratory tests and testing under various load scenarios. Today, such communication facilities are being tested by us in small settlements, and the launch in a city with a million residents is the next stage of verifying domestic telecommunications equipment under conditions of higher load and dense urban development. We will continue to carefully analyze the station's performance and assess its effectiveness in real operation," said Alexey Titov, Technical Director of MegaFon.

      As part of the CIPR, an online broadcast has been organized from the launched base station. In addition to aerial views of the confluence of the Volga and Oka rivers, participants and guests of the conference can see the operation of MegaFon's eco-monitoring in action. The system also transmits real-time information about the concentration of pollutants in the air, temperature and humidity, atmospheric pressure, wind direction, and speed. All data is aggregated on the "MegaFon Ecology" platform and can be provided to relevant authorities and enterprises upon request.

      The launch of the domestic base station in a city with a million residents was described by regional authorities as an important step in the development of Russian telecom infrastructure and the implementation of domestic communication technologies.

      "The production and installation of domestic base stations, both in villages and cities, as well as in metropolises, is one of the key steps towards our technological sovereignty. It's great that modern engineering solutions allow for network development without requiring land allocation for standalone towers. The launched station is an optimal solution: from a support structure that visually does not overload the historical landscape to digital components designed to ensure reliable communication. It is symbolic that the station's launch took place during the CIPR conference in Nizhny, a key business event dedicated to advanced Russian technologies," noted Gleb Nikitin, Governor of Nizhny Novgorod Region.

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