“We’re back to good old text messages”: Russians adjust to widespread mobile internet shutdowns

The process of shutting down the internet is relatively simple: mobile internet is jammed through traffic filtering equipment known as “TSPU” (an abbreviation for “Technical Means to Counter Threats”) or it is throttled directly by mobile operators, who reduce data speeds. According to the Internet Protection Society’s Klimarev, the implementation varies widely from region to region, with decisions largely left to local authorities:

“Based on the documents I’ve seen, here’s how it typically happens: either the regional emergency headquarters declares a ‘drone threat’ and sends letters to mobile operators demanding that mobile internet be shut down within a specific region or administrative district, or the shutdown is carried out through the TSPU — by blocking the IP addresses of cellular base stations.”

Frequently, disruptions affect only some of the operators in a given area. For example, T2 users may lose access, while MTS continues to function normally. Klimarev attributes this to human error and operator discretion. “One operator may have missed the notice and didn’t shut down in time. Another might have decided, more boldly, to gain a competitive edge by staying online. Others might have simply executed the shutdown incorrectly.”

Local officials themselves often don’t know how long a shutdown will last, nor how to explain the situation to the public. Vitaly Matyukha, head of the Usolsky District in Irkutsk Region, said the restrictions were being implemented “for safety reasons” and asked residents to be understanding. Saratov Region Governor Roman Busargin stressed the “temporary nature” of the disruptions. In the Omsk Region, where mobile internet has been unavailable since early June, Governor Vitaly Khotsenko has changed his explanation multiple times, citing “scheduled maintenance” on one occasion and “security concerns” on another (1,2).

On July 21, the Operational Headquarters of Altai Krai offered a new rationale, stating that the disruptions were due to “enhanced security measures at administrative, logistics, and industrial sites.” Officials in the Sakhalin Region, meanwhile, cited a broad telecommunications system inspection program.

The chaotic nature of the shutdowns can be traced to the large number of different bodies authorized to issue restriction orders, the Na Svyazi monitoring project explained. “Right now, orders can come from practically anyone — the city mayor, the regional governor, the local Emergency Ministry — anyone who suspects internet access should be restricted. Operators comply with the shutdown orders, but there’s no clear guidance on when to restore service. Authorities are now discussing the creation of a centralized body to regulate these shutdowns, because the consequences are becoming impossible to ignore.”

Since the end of June, disruptions have begun affecting not just mobile but also wired internet in several regions — a sign, analysts fear, that authorities may be preparing for broader and longer-term restrictions.

“It looks like a kind of psychological conditioning,” noted analysts from Na Svyazi. “Yes, the situation is dangerous, but also convenient. Being offline is becoming routine. And once the drone threat subsides, people may no longer react strongly to future internet restrictions.”

According to the project’s estimates, mobile internet was shut down at least 1,470 times in July — more than doubling the previous monthly record of 655.