A recent study conducted by the Onside analytics agency sheds new light on MTS’s role in the M2M and IoT connectivity space, highlighting the company as a dominant force among mobile operators within this fast-growing segment. The findings were released through the press service of Onside and reflect a detailed assessment of market share, growth dynamics, and project activity in the machine-to-machine and Internet of Things landscape.
According to the agency’s analysis, MTS commands a substantial portion of the total M2M connection volume, accounting for nearly half of all connections in the market with a share around 47%. This concentration of activity underscores MTS’s strong position in enabling device-to-device and machine-based communications across a wide range of sectors. The report also notes a robust expansion in MTS’s subscriber base, which increased by about 22.8% during the year 2022, signaling enhanced penetration and customer adoption in industrial and commercial deployments that rely on automated connectivity.
Onside’s research also places the broader M2M market in perspective, reporting that the overall M2M connection market grew by 28.8% over the same period, reaching a total of 14.3 million active connections. This expansion reflects accelerating demand for IoT-enabled solutions, including smart logistics, remote monitoring, predictive maintenance, and other applications that depend on reliable machine communications. The growth trajectory suggests rising investment in IoT infrastructure and a continued shift toward data-driven decision-making across industries.
As part of its comprehensive review, the study examined publicly announced initiatives to deploy private commercial LTE networks. Using 2022 performance as a benchmark, the analysis identifies MTS as a leading participant in launching Private LTE deployments, indicating a strategic emphasis on secure, dedicated network capabilities that support enterprise-grade IoT services. The report states that the company accounted for 37% of such market projects, highlighting its role as a preferred partner for organizations seeking customized, scalable connectivity solutions within a controlled network environment.
From a financial and policy standpoint, the Onside study highlights changes in the cost structure associated with deploying machine-to-machine and IoT technologies. Compared with the prior year, the total expenditure by state and business sectors on IoT and M2M initiatives rose by roughly 6%, reaching 113.9 billion rubles. This figure encapsulates investments in hardware, connectivity, platform services, and security measures necessary to support expansive IoT ecosystems. In parallel, the total number of IoT devices connected in Russia climbed to about 70.1 million units, reflecting broad adoption across manufacturing, urban infrastructure, agriculture, and consumer-facing applications that demand reliable, scale-ready machine communication networks.
Taken together, these findings illustrate a market that is maturing rapidly, with MTS positioned at the intersection of supply strength, enterprise collaboration, and innovative private network deployments. The implications extend beyond the immediate market context, signaling patterns that entities in other regions, including North America, may observe as enterprises increasingly seek robust, secure, and scalable IoT connectivity solutions. The report also underscores the importance of strategic partnerships, a growing ecosystem of device manufacturers, network equipment providers, and software platforms, all aiming to streamline deployment timelines and maximize return on IoT investments. In this climate, operators and enterprises alike are prioritizing reliability, security, and efficient management of a sprawling array of connected devices, sensors, and machines that collectively fuel modern operations and smarter decision-making across sectors.