Russia’s largest mobile operators have zeroed data charges to promote the use of the state-backed messaging platform Max. Effective August 1, MTS, MegaFon, Beeline and T2 will no longer apply data caps to voice calls, messaging or file transfers made via the Max app.
VK stated that the move stemmed from Max’s positioning as ‘part of the state’s digital infrastructure’. Beeline CEO Sergei Anokhin, in an interview with Kommersant newspaper, confirmed that the agreement was made on this basis. MegaFon said the operators aim to ‘pool resources to build a single, unified digital environment’.
Russian officials are aggressively backing the Max app, which was launched in spring 2025. The app has been integrated into state digital services, and pre-installation on all smartphones sold in the country has been made mandatory. According to Mediascope data, Max reached roughly 70 million daily active users in May and June, overtaking Telegram.
The operators’ free-data decision came after the European Union’s (EU) sanctions against VK. Brussels claims that Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) ‘oversees’ the development of Max and that the app has ‘extensive’ surveillance capabilities to monitor communications. Apple and Google, complying with EU sanctions, have removed VK and Max apps from their stores.