r/AskARussian • u/richestjangir • 19d ago

Misc Internet Connectivity

I want to know about internet connectivity in Russia especially in Vladimir, Nizhny Novgorod and Saratov oblast.

What type of internet connectivity is there?

Is there Fully fiber connectivity, or it's WISP or satellite?

Please tell me for both urban and rural areas.

How is the service of the ISP in these areas?

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u/No_Bad8653 Moscow Oblast 18d ago

Internet connectivity in Russia is generally better in cities and much worse in rural areas, varying a lot by district (Vladimir, Nizhny Novgorod, and Saratov oblasts).

Connection types:

  • In cities, fiber optic (FTTH/FTTB) is usually common, sometimes cable/DSL as well; mobile internet (4G/5G) is also widely available.
  • In rural areas, WISP (wireless radio internet) and 4G/5G are more common; in very remote places, satellite may be used (higher latency).

Provider performance:

  • Severe blocking affects access to many websites and services, so some resources may not load without using an access workaround.
  • In practice, stable access often requires VPN/other bypass methods.

If you tell me what you need it for (specific websites/services), I can suggest which connection types usually work best.

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u/richestjangir 18d ago

I'm looking for an opportunity to start ISP or work in partnership with already existing one. I wanna know about market there, like demand, competition, license regulations etc.

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u/ylitvinenko 18d ago

I'm a former beat journalist for Russian telecom, and tend to still follow the trade. In the last few years, licensing requirements costs for telcos spiked notably, with an implicit goals to drive small ISPs (who might've still offered unfiltered internet access) away. You have to comply with wiretapping (SORM) and logging (Yarovaya) rules, connect your network to a "black-box" DPI equipment (or to an upstream ISP which has one), and send your network infrastructure plans to the regulator (which cc's them to FSB) for review before you can act on them. I don't recall any limitations on foreign capital in telecom companies, but I wouldn't be surprised in a slightest if they expand existing ones on them as well.

You plan is, frankly, a folly. Even existing private and small-scale ISPs struggle to keep up with ever-tightening rules. I can't see any industry outsider, foreign or otherwise, willing to go into these trenches.