Since early March 2024, residents of the Russian capital have faced unprecedented disruptions to mobile internet service. The problems, which began as early as March 3...have affected all of the "Big Four" operators (MTS, Megafon, T2, and Beeline), but official agencies—including the Ministry of Digital Development, Communications, and Mass Media, Roskomnadzor, and the FSB—are refusing to provide specific comments on the reasons behind these developments. The situation, which many experts describe as a test of a system of total control, has already begun to radically change daily life in the city.
Infrastructure on the Brink of Collapse
Moscow, one of the world’s most advanced “smart cities,” has proven to be extremely vulnerable to a lack of connectivity. Key city services that rely on an internet connection are experiencing disruptions:
- Transportation and Taxis: Лидер рынка «Яндекс.Такси» (занимающий более 96% столичного рынка) был вынужден вернуть Order a car by phone and pay in cash.
- Car-sharing: Users are complaining that they can't end a rental or find a car due to geolocation glitches. There are instances when the app shows a car nearby, even though on the map it "is" located at Sheremetyevo.
- Finance: Non-cash payments often fail, which leads to instances of double charge, when the customer has to pay with both a card and cash.
A Return to "Analog" Habits
The lack of a stable internet connection has forced Muscovites to revisit forgotten methods of navigation and content consumption. The “Chitay-Gorod” bookstore chain reported всплеск спроса на бумажные путеводители и атласы на 48%. Residents are increasingly buying road maps and subway maps, as well as searching online for information about mobile data and wired internet.
Cultural institutions are also adapting to the new reality. For example, the Chekhov Moscow Art Theater is asking audience members print tickets in advance or save them to your smartphone, since it's impossible to open them at the entrance due to limited cell service in the city center.
The Reaction of Society and the Government
Political analyst Ekaterina Shulman notes that what is happening appears to be a test of a system that could be put into permanent operation. At the same time, she believes the authorities may not realize the scale of the disaster for the economy, since they themselves operate within a different information bubble. Sergey Boyko, founder of the “Society for the Protection of the Internet,” goes so far as to claim that in terms of the level of censorship Russia has already overtaken China, moving closer to the models of Iran and North Korea.
The Kremlin's official position remains brief. Dmitry Peskov confirmed that the communication restrictions will continue "for as long as necessary to ensure safety", emphasizing that all actions are being taken in accordance with the law.
The Mood of City Residents
A sense of uncertainty and frustration prevails among Moscow residents. While young people are trying to take the situation with a grain of salt, calling the forced digital detox an opportunity to “enjoy a walk,” older generations and the business community are seriously concerned. Many see what is happening as a “harbinger of something worse” and fear that life in an information vacuum will soon become as familiar a reality for the capital as it is for many other regions of the country.
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