MTS to Partner with China Mobile on AI and Autonomous Networks
The collaboration will focus on deploying artificial intelligence and developing new services for enterprise customers.
Russian telecom operators are increasingly expanding partnerships with international peers, gaining access to new expertise and advanced technologies. Most recently, MTS announced it has begun working with China Mobile, the world’s largest mobile operator and a recognized leader in autonomous network development.
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The partnership is built around two main areas. In the first track, the companies will work on developing the autonomous network technology stack on MTS infrastructure, with a strong emphasis on AI adoption.
These solutions are expected to significantly improve service performance. In practice, predictive analytics allows AI components to reduce network incidents, automatically detect and localize faults, gradually lower the need for human intervention in operations and maintenance, and speed up issue resolution across infrastructure.
Early Impact Assessment
In practice, autonomous networks are expected to deliver a measurable economic impact. Operating costs for infrastructure maintenance could drop by about 55%, while customer experience is projected to improve by roughly 71%, according to analysts. These technologies are also expected to support the rollout of 5G networks. Autonomous systems enable stable operation and scalable deployment of next-generation connectivity, including network slicing and automated quality-of-service management.
Before full deployment begins, the project will move through a preparatory phase. Specialists from China Mobile will assess the maturity of autonomous network components within MTS infrastructure. Based on that, the partners will develop a roadmap for the next three to five years, outlining phased upgrades to existing technologies.
Cloud and IoT for Enterprise
The second area of collaboration will focus on developing solutions for MTS’s B2B partners. This includes launching products that combine private networks with digital services built on top of them, particularly cloud platforms and Internet of Things technologies. Together, these will form the foundation for integrated solutions that can be tailored to the specific needs of different industries.
“Our strategic partnership with China Mobile brings together two operators that are shaping the future of their markets. Today, MTS is a technology leader in Russia’s telecom sector, launching fundamentally new products and solutions across B2B, B2C and B2G segments. China Mobile, in turn, is setting global trends in telecom innovation, including industrial networks and autonomous architectures,” said Inessa Galaktionova, CEO of MTS.
Chinese Telecom Presence Expands
For China Mobile, this is not its first project in Russia. In December last year, Beeline and China Mobile International launched the CMLink virtual service, targeting users who require seamless connectivity across Russia and China.
Earlier, in August, Beeline also announced a partnership with China Telecom to support the digitalization of Chinese-made vehicles sold in Russia.
The agreement between MTS and China Mobile marks another step in strengthening the global position of Russian telecom operators. The collaboration is expected to accelerate the adoption of AI technologies, which are becoming essential for the effective operation of next-generation networks.
