According to the report prepared by TMT Consulting, in 2021 the number of access points installed by telecom operators (networks of private companies and city free access points) increased by 3.7% to 185.7 thousand, and the revenue of operators increased by 2.8 % and reached $64.5 million (5.3 billion rubles).

The largest players were MaximaTelecom (36% of revenue and 9% of all access points), Rostelecom (25% of revenue and 30% of access points), ER-Telecom (13% and 12% respectively) and Beeline ( 8% and 17%).

According to analysts, the main customers of public Wi-Fi networks among small and medium-sized businesses are hotels and restaurants, retail trade companies and medical centers. Among large businesses, the main customers are retail companies, banks and filling stations.

In 2022, operators plan to develop and strengthen their presence in the regions. For example, MaximaTelecom plans to expand Wi-Fi networks while implementing existing and new infrastructure projects aimed at digitalizing public transport and developing city services (these plans also include the development in Moscow). Rostelecom plans to “focus on cloud solutions that fit into the existing Wi-Fi infrastructure of customers”. MegaFon’s specialists say that they will focus on the development of HoReCa segments (restaurants, catering, hotels) and retail.

Beeline intends to develop public Wi-Fi services, including the services in the regions: “The tourism industry is expanding public areas in anticipation of a large influx of users; these are not only the southern regions, but also recreation centers and resort houses throughout the country”. However, the company’s experts acknowledge that the figures in 2022 can be not as optimistic as experts expected at the beginning of the year.

Original (in Russian)