MTS said its high-precision positioning network for Yandex autonomous vehicles is operating on the M4 as far as Voronezh, the M12 as far as Kazan, and in five cities. The company plans to extend M4 coverage to Novorossiysk by the end of 2026 and the M12 to Tyumen by 2028.
The project began in 2025. The infrastructure is now deployed in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Nizhny Novgorod, Kazan and Voronezh. MTS also aims to build a geolocation network in every Russian city with more than one million residents and key logistics hubs by 2030.
The system uses GNSS RTK technology to correct satellite coordinates, initially accurate to 5–15 meters, to within 2–5 centimeters. It relies on mathematical models and a network of ground reference stations installed on the operator’s telecommunications infrastructure.
Centimeter-level coordinates are automatically matched with digital road maps. MTS says this helps autonomous vehicles navigate in zero visibility. Onboard inertial systems can use geodata when connectivity is unavailable.
MTS CEO Inessa Galaktionova said the infrastructure on key sections of four federal highways, spanning more than 4,000 kilometers, is expected to help optimize routes, reduce operating costs and fuel consumption, speed up transport and improve safety. These are projected company benefits. The report provides no independent assessment of results.