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- Communication breakdown: the number of telecom companies in the Russian Federation is decreasing
Communication breakdown: the number of telecom companies in the Russian Federation is decreasing
During the year, the number of telecommunications companies in Russia decreased by 6%, the Rusprofile service calculated at the request of Izvestia. Since 2019, their number has decreased by about a third. The trend is also recognized in the Ministry of Finance. First of all, small operators are leaving the market: they are closing down or merging with larger companies amid stricter regulatory requirements, experts say. In their opinion, the reduction of competition creates prerequisites for an increase in tariffs for communication services. At the same time, the trend towards a reduction in the number of companies may continue — a licensing reform of the communications industry is being prepared in the Russian Federation, which will complicate the work of small operators, experts believe.
How much has the number of telecom companies decreased
The number of telecom companies in Russia is decreasing, the Rusprofile counterparty verification service calculated at the request of Izvestia. By the beginning of August, there were 10.7 thousand such legal entities in the country — 6% less than a year earlier. At the same time, the number of communication organizations decreased by about a third compared to August 2019.
Rusprofile defines telecom companies as organizations and individual entrepreneurs whose registration data contains one of the following OKVED codes as the main one: 61.1 "Activities in the field of communications based on wired technologies", 61.2 "Activities in the field of communications based on wireless technologies", 61.3 "Activities in the field of satellite communications" and 61.9 "Other telecommunications activities".
In January – July 2026, 327 new business entities were registered in the industry, about the same number as in the same period last year. At the same time, 3.4 thousand companies, or 32% of the total number, account for individual entrepreneurs. Another 461 organizations are currently in the process of liquidation, reorganization or bankruptcy, the service added.
The Ministry of Finance, in turn, reported that there are currently about 7 thousand licensees in the field of communications services in Russia. The reduction in the number of telecom companies is indeed taking place, however, according to the agency, it is less than follows from the calculations of Rusprofile.
— In general, this reduction is the result of several processes that are revitalizing the communications market. First, it is being abandoned by "dead souls" — companies that were registered but did not actually operate. Secondly, small players are consolidating into larger and more stable structures. Thirdly, licensing requirements have been tightened, which eliminates unscrupulous participants," the ministry said.
The ministry recalled that from January 1, 2024, a law is in force that has increased the amount of the state fee for issuing a license to operate in the field of communications from 7.5 thousand to 1 million rubles. According to the Ministry of Finance, this measure helps to combat unscrupulous operators and telephone fraud, as it does not allow companies that violate the law to easily obtain new licenses.
In monetary terms, the communications market continues to grow: in 2025, its volume increased by 7.7%, exceeding 2.2 trillion rubles, said Konstantin Rudensky, an analyst at the Center for Strategic Support of Domestic Technologies. At the same time, the business is increasingly concentrated with fewer owners.
— Most likely, the main loss is accounted for by non-functioning organizations, microenterprises and small regional fixed Internet and cable TV operators. It is more difficult for them to distribute among subscribers the costs of equipment, personnel, SORM (a system of operational investigative measures. — Ed.), data storage and network modernization, — he added.
Representatives of the largest Russian operators did not respond to requests from Izvestia or declined to comment.
It is quite possible that the reduction affected companies operating in the corporate segment, for example, servicing one or two business centers, said Alkhas Mirzabekov, CEO of the operator of JSC YESK. In his opinion, some of these players could cease operations due to non-compliance with licensing requirements or merge with other organizations.
The expert believes that a massive reduction in the number of telecom companies can be expected in the first half of 2027, when many operators' licenses expire. By this time, the requirements for obtaining permits may become stricter. Changes in the conditions of connection to SORM and cybersecurity requirements also create an additional burden on operators.
— The number of operators will continue to decrease. At the same time, any market contraction means an increase in tariffs for subscribers. But at the same time, stricter licensing and regulatory requirements are justified. The level of threats on the Internet is growing, and everyone is now aware of the importance of strengthening the digital borders of any state. The state is obliged to fight cybercrime, and therefore ensures that those who work in the market meet high modern standards of quality and security," he said.
Why are there fewer operators?
The reduction in the number of telecommunications companies may accelerate if Russia tightens the rules for issuing licenses for communications services, experts interviewed by Izvestia believe. Market participants have been discussing such a reform since the spring of 2026. Among the possible changes is the introduction of three types of licenses, the cost of which, depending on the category, can reach 50 million rubles, as well as a ban on their issuance to individual entrepreneurs. For repeated gross violations of the operator's requirements, the license may be revoked without a court decision, and its beneficiaries may be prohibited from obtaining new permits for 10 years.
— There is no disappearance of notable Internet service providers: operators actively working with subscribers remain on the market. If the proposals are accepted in their current form, a significant number of small but important Internet service providers at the level of individual cities or districts will be forced to stop working," said Konstantin Ankilov, CEO of TMT Consulting. — Their subscribers will have to look for a new operator or switch to mobile Internet if there is no alternative to the current provider.
Until January 1, 2024, any company could obtain a license to provide certain communication services by paying a state fee of 10 thousand rubles. Taking into account the 10-year validity period of such permits, legal entities that received them in 2016 and later may have them, said Leonid Konik, a partner at ComNews Research.
— Many received licenses "for the future" — without precise plans to start a telecom business. And some have been abandoning these plans since 2023, when the government began to tighten requirements for telecom operators. Since January 1, 2024, the cost has increased from 10 thousand to 1 million rubles. Starting from September 1, 2024, in order to obtain a new or extended license, the operator must coordinate with the FSB a scheme for building a communication network, and with Roskomnadzor a scheme for passing traffic through the TSPU (technical means of countering threats. — Ed.), — he reminded.
Konstantin Rudensky believes that it is not the number of companies that is more important for a subscriber, but the number of networks available in his home. If an organization simply merges legal entities or closes an unused license, the client does not notice anything. The consequences arise where an independent local provider really leaves: the choice is reduced, and the pressure on prices and quality is easing, the expert noted.
The number of companies is likely to continue to decline even without the reform, Konstantin Rudensky believes. In his opinion, if the discussed financial and infrastructure requirements are adopted in a strict form, the process will accelerate among small regional providers. However, there are no final rules yet: at the end of August, the Ministry of Finance continued to collect industry proposals and stressed that no specific decisions had been taken. Therefore, the possible withdrawal of a third of operators from the market, which some players fear, should be considered a stressful scenario by industry associations, rather than a ready-made forecast, the expert concluded.
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