Russian regulator finds MegaFon’s “5G mode” advertising misleading

Russia's Federal Antimonopoly Service has found MegaFon's “5G mode” advertising misleading. The regulator said the operator advertised a service it could not technically provide and will consider administrative liability.

According to the regulator, federal television channels ran the advert inviting customers to activate the mode in a mobile app from April to May 2026. Commercial 5G service had not been introduced in Russia at that time, potentially misleading subscribers.

The case was opened on August 27. At that stage, the regulator said the service labelled “5G mode” actually provided access to LTE, or 4G.

MegaFon disputed the regulator's assessment. The company said it had advertised an increase in internet speeds to levels comparable with 5G and considered the advert accurate.

The operator has not yet received the reasoned decision. It will decide on its next steps after receiving it.