The Federal Antimonopoly Service has initiated a case against MegaFon for advertising its "5G mode" service, Kommersant reports. According to the agency, subscribers were actually getting access to LTE (4G), not fifth-generation networks, the commercial deployment of which has not yet begun in Russia.

The advertisement was broadcast on federal TV channels from April to May 2026. The FAS believes it could have created a false impression among users about 5G availability. MegaFon stated that they are confident in the transparency and legality of the service and are ready to provide technical and legal justifications. According to the operator, "5G mode" increases internet speed by up to 60%, while a real transition to 5G would provide an increase of about 20%, citing independent research.

Earlier, the FAS had already recommended that operators change their 5G-related advertising campaigns by early July. MTS launched the campaign "5G. Very soon," while VimpelCom used the slogan "5G is already in your tariff, test it." If the advertisement is found to violate legislation, the service will take responsive measures. MegaFon expects the regulator to similarly evaluate the activities of other market participants.