FAС Opens Case Against MegaFon Over 5G Ad Misleading
According to the Federal Antimonopoly Service of Russia, advertising could create a false impression among subscribers about the possibility of using communication services with the use of a commercial implementation of 5G technology that has not yet been realized on the territory of Russia,
Consensus
- The Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAС) initiated a case against MegaFon.
- The case concerns advertising a '5G mode' service.
- The advertised service actually provided access to LTE (4G) network.
- The advertising campaign aired on federal television channels from April to May 2026.
- The FAС believes the advertisement could mislead consumers into thinking 5G technology was available in Russia.
- Commercial implementation of 5G technology in Russia has not been realized as of the time of the reports.
- If the advertisement is found to violate advertising legislation, the FAС will take responsive measures.
Points of divergence
- The advertisement featured a green map with a '5G mode' label and encouraged users to activate the service via the operator's mobile app. — gazeta_spb
- The FAС stated that the commercial rollout of 5G in Russia has not been implemented. — gazeta_spb
- MegaFon acknowledged the regulatory attention and stated they understand the scrutiny due to widespread 5G-related marketing on the telecom market. — kommersant
- MegaFon claims their '5G mode' service increases internet speed by over 60%, citing independent research showing a 20% speed increase with actual 5G. — kommersant
- MegaFon asserts the service is transparent and lawful and is ready to provide technical and legal justifications to the FAС. — kommersant
Coverage (2 sources)
- FAS opened a case against Megafon over false advertising of 5G technology - SPb Gazeta - St. Petersburg news — Gazeta.SPb
- FAS began opening cases against telecom operators for 5G advertising — Коммерсантъ