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Rostelecom says fiber now reaches 80% of homes in megacities
Rostelecom says its fiber network now covers more than 80% of homes in Russia’s largest cities and spans over 1.1 million kilometers.
Image: iXBT
Rostelecom says its optical network expansion in Russia has passed a new milestone: the company’s total fiber-optic line length now exceeds 1.1 million kilometers. According to the provider, more than two thirds of Russian families can now connect to high-speed internet.
By the end of the first half of 2026, optical networks covered more than 80% of residential buildings in the country’s largest cities, Rostelecom said. In most district centers, that figure is already above 90%.
Among Russia’s million-plus cities, the highest coverage levels were recorded in Omsk, Novosibirsk, Krasnoyarsk, Moscow, and Rostov-on-Don. At the regional level, Murmansk Oblast and the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug led the rankings, with optical infrastructure available to 99% of households.
The company also highlighted strong results in Lipetsk Oblast, the Mari El Republic, and Kamchatka. In Komi and Nizhny Novgorod Oblast, the construction of new lines pushed network access to more than 90% of families.
Rostelecom said it is continuing to upgrade the network. In the near term, some of the busiest sections are set to move to data speeds of up to 10 Gbit/s. At the same time, Russia has launched serial production of Wi‑Fi 6 routers capable of delivering up to 3 Gbit/s, according to the company.
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Culture Editor
Maya explores gaming, streaming, and the internet as a place where people actually live. From deep-dives into creator economies to the anthropology of digital communities, she tracks platform drama and cultural shifts so you don't have to. She believes the best tech stories are fundamentally about human behavior.
via iXBT
