During the internet blackout, Russians will have the authorization to utilize taxi services, delivery platforms, and online marketplaces.
In recent times, Russia has implemented a mobile internet scheme aimed at addressing internet restrictions within the country. During periods of internet shutdowns, a whitelist of services is made available to users, allowing access to certain sites and apps.
The whitelist includes essential services such as taxi, delivery services, and marketplaces, but recent shutdowns have targeted voice and video calls on popular apps like WhatsApp and Telegram, while text messaging and media sharing within these apps still function. Other messaging apps supporting audio and video calls may continue to operate normally, suggesting the use of selective protocol blocking, throttling, or filtering by telecom operators or state-controlled network nodes during shutdowns.
Regarding foreign SIM cards, there is no explicit information found in the recent sources about cooling-off periods. However, Russia has implemented regulatory measures on SIM card registration and mobile service usage, often requiring identification and registration for SIM cards, including those from foreign providers. The details about the cooling-off periods for foreign SIM cards have not been disclosed yet.
Maksut Shadaev, head of the Ministry of Digital Development, made a statement regarding the mobile internet scheme during restrictions. He also mentioned that by default, foreign SIM cards will be limited to five hours of mobile internet usage. The Ministry is working together with operators on the mobile internet scheme and will specify "cooling-off" periods for foreign SIM cards in due course.
It's worth noting that the limitation on foreign SIM cards does not apply to the white list of services during internet shutdowns in Russia. When a mobile internet block occurs, users will be able to access the whitelist of services at the same speed through a captcha system.
In July, mobile internet was shut down 2,999 times across Russia, a significant increase from the 69 times in May and 662 times in June. This underscores the importance of the mobile internet scheme in ensuring that essential services remain accessible during restrictions.
A separate initiative from the mobile internet scheme is the appearance of a map of free Wi-Fi points in the Rostov region. This move aims to provide additional means for citizens to access the internet during restrictions.
The mobile internet scheme in Russia is designed to ensure that essential services like taxi, delivery, and marketplaces remain accessible during restrictions. However, the specifics about cooling-off periods for foreign SIM cards and the reasons behind these regulations are yet to be disclosed.
- The mobile internet scheme in Russia, although it restricts voice and video calls on certain apps during shutdowns, still allows access to essential services like taxis, delivery services, and marketplaces, including those using foreign SIM cards.
- Despite the restrictions on foreign SIM cards in Russia, the Ministry of Digital Development is working with operators to ensure that users can access the whitelist of services at the same speed during internet shutdowns, regardless of their SIM card origins.
