The Moscow region’s technical leadership confirms that the telecommunications operator has completed the transition of UMTS 2100 frequency usage within the Central Ring Road area by the end of 2023. This shift consolidates the move from 3G in the 2100 MHz band to the LTE standard across the region’s key corridors, aiming to strengthen mobile broadband speed and overall capacity for users across Moscow and adjacent districts.
As part of the project, all base stations operating in the UMTS 2100 band were migrated to LTE. The result cited is a substantial improvement in user experience, with average increases in mobile internet speeds and network capacity approaching thirty percent in major urban and suburban zones. Plans are in place to complete the decommissioning of UMTS 2100 in the remaining parts of the Moscow region by 2025.
Officials emphasized that the transition in the vast majority of 3G sites within the targeted areas has delivered a modern LTE solution that benefits millions of subscribers through faster data rates and greater network efficiency. The rollout will continue to extend the 2100 MHz LTE overlay to all remaining locations in the Moscow region in the coming years, with the objective of full 4G coverage in these zones by 2025.
For customers using older 3G devices that do not support LTE, there is a continuity plan to preserve essential communication services. Voice and data will still operate, but within an alternative spectrum — UMTS 900 MHz — which offers wider coverage than UMTS 2100. In recent periods, the UMTS 900 network has been expanded significantly, ensuring a seamless transition that minimizes interruption for subscribers.
In the capital and the Central Ring Road area, the share of LTE 2100 base stations that were transferred from UMTS reached the vast majority by December, reflecting a rapid completion pace during the year. The year prior saw a slower adoption, with a smaller percentage of sites migrated. The cumulative effect across the year included more than nine hundred migrating sites and a notable rise in the proportion of 4G sites that previously operated in 3G, illustrating a clear shift toward 4G infrastructure across the region.
Moreover, 4G device penetration among subscribers in the Moscow region approached three-quarters by year-end, while the remaining 3G devices without LTE support accounted for a small fraction. This trend aligns with the operator’s broader strategy of enhancing network performance while maintaining broad compatibility for users who rely on legacy devices.
Since 2018, the operator has been deploying LTE 2100 networks across multiple Russian regions. The plan for 2024 includes extending the UMTS 2100 rearmament to additional regions, broadening the scope of LTE coverage and further strengthening the ecosystem for high-speed mobile services across the country.