Russia\u2019s largest nationwide telecommunications operators, Rostelecom and TransTeleCom, have begun offering small regional providers service agreements under which the providers would hand over their infrastructure and subscriber bases, Kommersant reported after reviewing the presentations.<\/p>\n
Under Rostelecom\u2019s proposal, regional operators would transfer their subscribers, communications lines, and technical support to\u00a0the company. In\u00a0return, they would keep 30\u201340% of\u00a0revenue and no\u00a0longer have to\u00a0cover costs (up\u00a0to\u00a015 million rubles a\u00a0year), payroll (up\u00a0to\u00a016 million rubles a\u00a0year), or\u00a0contributions to\u00a0the universal service fund (at\u00a0least 1 million rubles a\u00a0year). The proposal also promises to\u00a0reduce their exposure to\u00a0regulatory risk.<\/p>\n
TransTeleCom\u2019s proposal outlines fixed virtual network operator (FVNO) models. Under these models, regional operators would no\u00a0longer need a\u00a0license or\u00a0have regulatory obligations. In\u00a0return, they would receive a\u00a0share of\u00a0revenue and retain the <\/p>\n
A\u00a0source told Kommersant that the proposals involve \u201cstrictly commercial and voluntary\u201d cooperation.<\/p>\n
Representatives of\u00a0small providers say that under these terms, operators would \u201ceffectively become installers.\u201d Rostelecom used to\u00a0\u201cat\u00a0least buy companies,\u201d but now it\u00a0is\u00a0effectively offering terms under which it\u00a0\u201ctakes 60% of\u00a0the business\u201d without investing anything, said Yaroslav Dubovikov, executive director of\u00a0the Association of\u00a0Telecommunications Companies.<\/p>\n
In\u00a0April 2026, reports emerged that the Ministry of\u00a0Digital Development was discussing stricter requirements for telecommunications operators with industry representatives. Among other measures, the ministry proposed<\/a> introducing three types of\u00a0licenses that could cost between 1 million and 50 million rubles, depending on\u00a0the category. The Association of\u00a0Telecommunications Operators warned<\/a> that the proposal could leave 27 regions without local internet providers.<\/p>\n At\u00a0Meduza, we\u00a0are committed to\u00a0transparency about our use of\u00a0artificial intelligence in\u00a0the newsroom. The story you\u2019re reading was written by\u00a0one of\u00a0our living, breathing journalists and translated from Russian using an\u00a0AI\u00a0model configured to\u00a0follow our strict editorial standards. This translation process is\u00a0the result of\u00a0extensive testing and refinements to\u00a0ensure our English-language coverage is\u00a0timely and accurate. A\u00a0Meduza editor reviews every draft before publication.<\/p>\n If\u00a0you find any errors in\u00a0this translation, please contact us\u00a0at\u00a0[email\u00a0protected]<\/a>.<\/p>\n