MegaFon was the first to launch a base station in the right-of-way of the federal highway in Tatarstan

MegaFon was the first among telecom operators to build a telecom facility in the right-of-way of the federal highway on the M-12 section in Tatarstan.

The project was implemented just three months after amendments to No. 257-FZ came into force, allowing the construction of telecom infrastructure in close proximity to highways.

The installation of a base station within the right of way made it possible to provide high-quality coverage on the M-12 section near the village of Verkhnie Pinyachi in Tatarstan (at the 1030th kilometer of the route), where there was previously an unstable signal. Now cars traveling at high speed remain in a stable coverage area.

The choice of location was dictated by the real need for communications – the route is becoming more in demand: along its entire length, mobile traffic consumption has increased by 34% over the past year.

A highway right-of-way is an area intended to accommodate both the highway itself and road service facilities (gas stations, roadside shops and cafes, etc.). Before the adoption of amendments to Federal Law 257 “On Highways…”, the construction of telecom facilities in right-of-way was possible only on toll sections of highways, which limited the development of communication infrastructure.

As a result, operators were forced to build base stations at a distance of 200 meters or more from the road. This created additional difficulties when coordinating sites with land owners and made it difficult to ensure direct visibility between operators’ equipment and users’ devices – obstacles arose in the form of hilly terrain or nearby settlements, where residents’ devices also loaded the network. Now, taking into account the new standards, MegaFon plans to build communication facilities in the right of way on 90% of federal highways.

“The ability to place base stations close to highways is essential to providing travelers with a consistent signal. At the same time, the location of telecom facilities in right-of-way is only part of a large-scale program to develop communications along highways. In general, by the end of the year we plan to build and modernize several hundred base stations, and more than 1,400 by 2031. This will make communications stable and accessible even on the longest sections of roads and remote from settlements,” said Sergei Sorokin, director of MegaFon’s infrastructure project implementation department.