Significant changes to mobile internet operations have come into force in Russia. The country's authorities have tightened control over the digital space, completely restricting the use of foreign SIM cards to bypass existing blocks. Now, roaming traffic is subject to the same filtering as connections from domestic telecommunications operators.
Unified Traffic Filtering System
According to Russian media citing representatives of the telecom industry and the Ministry of Digital Development of the Russian Federation, accessing the internet through foreign operators is no longer a way to bypass Roskomnadzor restrictions. The department has officially confirmed that unified control rules are applied to all roaming traffic.
To implement these measures, Deep Packet Inspection (DPI) technology is used. It allows for the analysis of network connection characteristics and the detection of attempts to access blocked resources. Upon detecting such requests, the system automatically restricts the connection. At the same time, access to sites included in the state "white list" is preserved.
Scale and Consequences
According to sources, users began noting the first malfunctions of foreign SIM cards about a week and a half ago. Currently, there are approximately two million such cards in Russia, of which about 500,000 are regularly used to access the network. For the owners of these devices, the new rules mean the actual closing of the "window" to the free internet.
Official Justification
Russian authorities explain the tightening of control as a matter of national security. Previously, the Ministry of Digital Development of the Russian Federation stated that restrictions are necessary to counter the use of foreign SIM cards in Ukrainian drones.
In Moscow, it has been repeatedly stated that during strikes on Russian territory, Ukrainian drones allegedly used mobile networks and SIM cards of foreign operators to correct routes, transmit telemetry, and video signals in real-time. It is these claims that formed the basis of the new regulation.
Plans for Further Regulation
The introduction of control over roaming has become part of a broader course on regulating the digital sphere. In Russia, new measures are being discussed that could radically change the familiar internet landscape for citizens and businesses. Among the initiatives under discussion are the introduction of paid email for business, as well as the possible charging of users for the use of VPN services and international internet traffic.
