There will be fewer mobile Internet outages in Russia

The Ministry of Finance and Business are discussing the introduction of rules for disabling mobile Internet, which have recently become regular. A senior federal official and a top manager of one of the cellular companies told Izvestia about this. Currently, orders to turn off cellular communications are given by local authorities, regional emergency management departments and other officials and organizations, and often the requirements are chaotic, they claim.

Road check: Internet won't appear on part of federal highways

What is the reason for this and how will drivers be able to connect to the Network?

"Until recently, telecom operators followed the instructions of Roskomnadzor and law enforcement agencies, in particular, the FSB. This was standard practice, for example, during the preparation for various mass events. But due to the current situation and the increased frequency of attacks by unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), there are too many structures giving such orders," said a source close to one of the mobile operators.

For example, on the eve of Victory Day, Russians were warned about the limitation of the mobile Internet. Also during the SPIEF, residents of St. Petersburg and the Leningrad region complained about interruptions in the operation of the mobile Internet. The authorities explained this by ensuring the security of the forum.

Cellular communications are periodically disconnected due to massive drone attacks on strategic facilities, including airports. So, from July 5 to July 7, Russian airlines canceled 485 flights for safety reasons, 88 went to alternate airfields, and 1.9 thousand flights were delayed for departure and arrival.

According to the source of Izvestia, now the operators' specialists are overloaded with requests for shutdowns, which are sent by local leaders who are not authorized to do so. These applications from the regions should be sent to Moscow, reviewed and determined whether they are legitimate or not, and plans for disconnection should be drawn up. All this takes time, and because of this, access cannot always be promptly blocked where it is really needed, he says. On the other hand, access can be blocked by mistake where it is not required in principle.

Streamlining the blocking procedure will save users from unnecessary, unjustified outages, and operators from unnecessary work, said Karen Ghazaryan, director of the Internet Research Institute. The appointment of a single body through which operators will receive orders is fully justified. It was also advisable to create a system that could quickly convey verified information to signalmen, the expert believes.

Read more in the exclusive Izvestia article:

Exceptions without rules: massive Internet outages will be reduced in Russia