According to TASS, citing a publication from Kommersant, the Ministry of Digital Affairs has prepared a preliminary version of the "Strategy for the Development of the Communications Industry in the Russian Federation for 2024-2035". According to it, operators will begin introducing 5G and 6G-Ready networks in the country from 2030, and in 2027, 3G networks will be shut down – the industry will switch to 4G/LTE networks.
MTS told Kommersant that they are going to shut down 3G networks gradually after 2025, as users abandon 3G devices without LTE support. The remaining operators did not comment on the strategy in any way.
The Ministry of Digital Affairs notes that the draft strategy should be submitted to the government by the end of May, and while work on it is underway, the collection of industry proposals is also underway.
