For the first time, a base station was installed in the right-of-way of a federal highway.

      Installing a base station within the road right-of-way made it possible to provide high-quality coverage on the M-12 section near the settlement of Verkhnie Pinyachi in Tatarstan (at kilometer 1,030 of the highway), where the signal had previously been unstable. Vehicles traveling at high speed now remain within a zone of stable coverage. The choice of location was dictated by a real need for connectivity — the highway is becoming more in demand: over its entire length, mobile data usage increased by 34% over the past year.

      The road right-of-way is an area intended for the placement of both the highway itself and roadside service facilities (gas stations, roadside shops and cafes, etc.). Prior to amendments to Federal Law No. 257-FZ "On Motor Roads..." the construction of telecom facilities within right-of-way areas was only possible on tolled sections of highways, which limited the development of communications infrastructure.

      As a result, operators were forced to build base stations at distances of 200 meters or more from the road. This created additional difficulties when coordinating sites with landowners and hindered ensuring line-of-sight between operators' equipment and users' devices — obstacles such as hilly terrain or nearby settlements arose, where residents' devices also loaded the network. Now, taking the new regulations into account, MegaFon plans to build communications facilities within the right-of-way on 90% of federal highways.

      "The ability to place base stations directly adjacent to highways is of great importance for providing travelers with a stable signal. At the same time, locating telecom facilities within right-of-way areas is only part of a large-scale program to develop connectivity along highways. Overall, by the end of the year we plan to build and modernize several hundred base stations, and by 2031 — more than 1,400. This will make connectivity reliable and accessible even on the longest and most remote stretches of highways, far from settlements," said Sergey Sorokin, Director of the Infrastructure Projects Implementation Department at MegaFon.