Russia's four biggest telecoms say nyet to a new initiative to codify Net Neutrality

Russia’s “LTE Union,” a lobbying group for the country’s “Big Four” telecoms (VimpelCom, MTS, Megafon, and T2 Mobile), has come out against a new initiative by the Federation Council to codify the principle of Net Neutrality in a new federal law.

In a letter to the government, LTE Union argues that “harsh and hurried decisions” by lawmakers could disrupt plans to introduce 5G mobile data in Russia, saying that Net Neutrality could interfere with the 5G network’s prioritization of “critical communication” data (such as information used in “telemedicine” and unmanned vehicles).

Will Russian telecoms beat Net Neutrality like their American counterparts?

• A proposal by the Federation Council does not a law make, but the initiative could find its way to Putin’s desk, if it’s ever allowed to gain steam in the State Duma. Despite generating billions of dollars in revenue, Russia’s telecoms have had to swallow costly new “anti-terrorist” regulations over the past few years. (Reuters reported on August 22, however, that the Big Four want legislation “that would oblige foreign Internet companies to share the financial burden” of these new requirements.)
• In mid-August, Russia’s Communications Ministry proposed forcing the country's telecoms to start buying new FSB-approved SIM cards with cryptographic protections that MegaFon warns would cost 83.2 billion rubles ($1.2 billion). If Net Neutrality ever takes on national security significance, there’s a good chance that Russia’s telecoms will be told to shut up and play ball.