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Internet in Russia, orRussian Internet (Russian:российский Интернет, which means "Russia-related Internet"), and sometimesRunet (aportmanteau of "Russian" and "Internet"), is the part of theInternet that is related toRussia. As of 2015[update], Internet access in Russia is available to businesses and home users in various forms, includingdial-up,cable,DSL,FTTH, mobile,wireless andsatellite.
As of 2020[update], 122,488,468 Russians (85% of the country's total population) were Internet users.[1] As of September 2020[update], Russia ranked 47th among the world's countries by thefixed broadbandInternet accessspeed, with an average download speed of 75.91mbit/s, and 88th bymobile network Internet access speed, with 22.83mbit/s.[2] According toFreedom House, the Internet in Russia is "Not Free" as of 2019[update].[3] In September 2011, Russia overtookGermany on the European market with the highest number of unique visitors online.[4] In March 2013, a survey found thatRussian had become the second-most commonly used language on the web afterEnglish.[5]
Russians are strong users ofsocial networks, of whichOdnoklassniki.ru (used by 75% of 25–35-year-old Russians in 2009) andVKontakte are the most popular.[6]LiveJournal has also been long popular.[7]Online gaming is widespread.
Retrospectively, networking of data in the Russian language can be traced to the spread ofmail andjournalism in Russia, and information transfer by technical means came with thetelegraph andradio. An 1837 sci-fi novelThe Year 4338: Petersburg Letters, by the 19th-century Russian philosopherVladimir Odoevsky, contains predictions such as "friends' houses are connected by means of magnetic telegraphs that allow people who live far from each other to talk to each other" and household journals "having replaced regular correspondence" with "information about the hosts’ good or bad health, family news, various thoughts and comments, small inventions, as well as invitations."[8]
Computing systemsbecame known in the USSR by the 1950s. Starting from 1952, work was conducted in the Moscow-basedInstitute of Precision Mechanics and Computer Engineering (headed bySergei Lebedev) on automatedmissile defense system which used a computer network which calculated radar data on test missiles through central machine called M-40 and was interchanging information with smaller remote terminals about 100—200 kilometers distant.[9] The scientists used several locations in theUSSR for their works, the largest was a massive test range to the West fromLake Balkhash known asSary Shagan. In the meantimeamateur radio users all over USSR were conductingP2P connections with their comrades worldwide using data codes. Later, a massive automated data network calledExpress was launched in 1972 to serve the needs ofRussian Railways.
From the early 1980s theAll Union Scientific Research Institute for Applied Computerized Systems (VNIIPAS) was working to implement data connections over theX.25 telephone protocol to form the USSR-wideAcademset. An official scientific Soviet digital data connection fromVNIIPAS to Austria'sIIASA existed since 1982,[10] in 1982 and 1983 there were a series of world computer conferences at VNIIPAS initiated by theU.N. where the USSR was represented by a team of scientists from manySoviet Republics headed by biochemistAnatoly Klyosov. The other participating countries were the UK, USA, Canada, Sweden,FRG,GDR, Italy, Finland, Philippines, Guatemala, Japan, Thailand, Luxembourg, Denmark, Brazil and New Zealand.[11]
Also, in 1983 theSan Francisco Moscow Teleport (SFMT) was started by VNIIPAS and an American team which included Joel Schatz, Michael Kleeman and Chet Watson with initial financial support from Henry Dakin. SFMT provided email service using the PeaceNet platform and multi-language support. It also undertook severalslowscan video[12] links between the two countries, including supporting physicians such as UCLA'sBob Gale in treating patients exposed in the Chernobyl accident. It later founded a for profit phone and data providerSovAm (Soviet-American)Teleport in the later 80s. Meanwhile, on April 1, 1984 aFool's Day hoax about "Kremlin computer"Kremvax was made in the English-speakingUsenet. There are reports of spontaneous Internet (UUCP andtelnet) connections "from home" through X.25 in the USSR in as early as 1988. In 1990 aGlasNet non-profit initiative by the US-basedAssociation for Progressive Communications sponsored Internet usage in several educational projects in the USSR (through Sovam).
The development of Internet infrastructure in Russia began with development ofanalog modem-basedcomputer networks in Soviet cities, primarily in scientific institutions. The first one to connectUNIXemail hosts country-wide (including Soviet Republics) was theRelcom organization which formed on August 1, 1990 at theKurchatov nuclear physics institute inMoscow. They were functioning together with partner programmingcooperativeDemos, named after the Soviet-madeDEMOSUnix-like operating system. In August 1990 they established regular email routing with an Internet node inHelsinki University over a paid voice line. The construction ofAcademset was also going on at the time withVNIIPAS being its central node which was connected internationally overX.25 since the early 1980s.[13][14]FidoNet connections reportedly started in 1990.
In 1990–1991 Relcom's network was rapidly expanding, it joinedEUnet, registered.su domain, and was used to spread news about theSoviet coup attempt of 1991 worldwide while coupers throughKGB were trying to suppress mass media activity on the subject.[15] Afterthe fall of the USSR many former Soviet state-controlled structures were inherited by theRussian Federation, vast telephone networks among them.[16] With thetransformation of the economy,market-basedtelecommunication industries grew quickly, variousISPs appeared.
Meanwhile, the first RussianFidoNet node reportedly started in October 1990 inNovosibirsk, and the USSR was included in FidoNet'sRegion 50. Russian FidoNet activity did contribute to the development of Runet, as mass-networking overBBSes was for a time more popular than over the Internet in the early 90s.
In March 1991, theNational Science Foundation began to allowEastern Bloc countries to connect to the global TCP/IP network (the "Internet proper").[17]
By the mid-1990s, computer networks (whereTCP/IP was replacing UUCP) appeared in many branches of regular life and commerce inPost-Soviet states. The Internet became a popular means of communication for anyone in the world who spoke Russian. National so-calledNets of former Soviet Republics began to occur (e.g.Uznet,Kaznet and others). Sovam Teleport providedSWIFT connections for banks in the early 90s.[18]
In October 2007, then-Deputy Prime MinisterDmitry Medvedev announced that all ofschools in Russia (about 59,000) were connected to the Internet, but later concerns were publicized that there were problems with a contractor to serve them. Also in December 2007, as a follow-up to the notedPonosov's Case, which dealt with the use ofillegal software in Russian schools, plans were announced to officially testLinux in the schools ofPerm Krai,Tatarstan andTomsk Oblast to determine the feasibility of further implementing Linux-based education in the country's other regions.[19] In subsequent years test results were considered successful, but new organizational problems appeared, including obscurities with distribution of funds assigned by state.[20] No mass usage of Linux in Russian schools followed, but later in 2nd half of 2010s state-related institutions and corporations began to massively implementAstra Linux instead of Microsoft Windows on the grounds that Windows is not secure and may be used inanti-Russia sanctions.
Since 2009, the website "Gosuslugi" ("state services") is developing that became an online standard for providing electronic state services for Russian citizens. ARussian Federation passport is required to register. Over 100 million users are registered in 2019 (~70% ofRussian population).
According to statistics of theEuropean Council, in the second half of 2012 the number of new subscribers connected by technologyFTTx (fiber to building) in Russia increased by 2.2 million people, more than all 27 countries of theEuropean Union combined. The total number of households with lets FTTx connection was 7.5 million. This means that in 2012 over 40% of the fixed line broadband users were connected by fiber optics.[21]
Russia has achieved notable progress in achievingbroadband connectivity for its citizens. Mobile broadband connectivity is close to average for advanced economies (60 active subscriptions for every 100 inhabitants), the rates of mobile phone penetration is one of the highest in the world, and Russia is a global leader in the affordability of fixed broadband, with subscriber costs meeting the affordability criteria of theUN International Telecommunication Union meeting more than 90 percent of Russian households. Russia's average Internet connection speed of 7.4 Mbit/s is also almost twice the global average of 3.8 Mbit/s.[22]
However, Russia still faces challenges in thedigital divide in reaching rural and remote areas. Fixed broadband penetration is highest inMoscow and lowest in theChechen republic. Given Russia's enormous size and diverse levels of development, the digital divide continues to persist.
The prominent Public Opinion FoundationFOM (ФОМ) in March 2007 issued a report that found 28 million people of 18 years and older in Russia (25%) had used the Internet within the last six months (monthly users 23.9/21%; daily 10.1/9%).[23] In November 2006TNS Gallup Media in a report called by some sources "first quality Internet audience research in Russia" put a monthly Russian audience at more than 15 million.[24] TheRukv.ru monitoring project found 1,001,806 WWW-addresses within .ru and .su responding in March 2008.[25] The national domain registration service RU-Center announced creation of millionth .ru domain on September 17, 2007 (about 200 thousand of domains are thought to be 'parked' bysquatters).
On April 3, 2008, theRIF-2008 was opened bypresident-elect of RussiaDmitry Medvedev, who said in the opening address to the forum that he estimates Runet to be populated by 40 million users, or 28 percent of the population. He also stated that Russian sites do $3 billion in annual transactions and have $370 million in advertising revenue.[26]
In October 2008 President Medvedev started his ownvideo blog, which in April 2009 was expanded with the separately moderated version inLiveJournal.[27]
In June 2009 FOM issued results of its new survey that found the "half-year audience" of people 18 years old and over was 33%, or 37.5 million.[28]
CIA World Factbook states there were 10.382 millionInternet hosts in 2008 and 40.853 millionInternet users in 2010 in Russia.[29]
By March 2011 the total number of broadband subscribers reached 16.5 million with penetration at almost 30%. These numbers increased within two years by 180% against 9 million in 2009. The highest penetration rate above 70% is inMoscow andSaint-Petersburg, these two cities also makes up a quarter of all subscribers (3.2 and 1.2 million respectively).[30]
In September 2011, Russia overtookGermany as the European market with the highest number of unique visitors online.[31]
According to Daily Telecom estimates, by the third quarter of 2013 there were 26.3 million broadband subscribers. Largest residential Internet service providers by market share at the end of 2013 were:Rostelecom: 38.6%,ER-Telecom: 11.1%,VimpelCom: 10.1%,MTS: 9.4%,TransTelekom: 4.6%, AKADO: 3.3%, Others: 22.9%[32]
As of 2025,Russian language (spoken in numerous countries besides Russia) is the sixth most used for web content.[33]
Since 2013, the state has employed Internet users in order to spread propaganda and disinformation advocating activities of the Russian government and discrediting opposition and Western countries according to theUS paperNew York Times.[34] The major organization employing them, "Internet Issledovania" (Russian:Интернет исследования), initially had an office in Saint Petersburg. They are involved in various activities including creating of visibility of mass-support of the government in social media (both in Russian and in English), propagating texts between different media, and collectively attacking users with anti-government views, often using multiple identities. Collectively, they are known as "Kremlin trolls" or "Trolls from Olgino".[35][36] The same organization also hosts a number of websites, including the Kharkov News Agency, which claim to be news agencies operating from Eastern Ukraine or from theDonbas area and providing local news, but in fact have no staff outside the Saint Petersburg office building.[36][37]
According to Western media, the Russian government has access to the list of internet searches made by every citizen.[38] In 2025, the Russian government forbade audio and video calls on messaging appsWhatsApp andTelegram. On 1 September 2025, it become a felony in Russia to access "manifestly extremist material" over the internet; the "extremist" label encompassesLGTBQ,Greenpeace,satanism and political movements such asAlexei Navalny's. From the same date it is also forbidden to advertiseVPN services not approved byRoskomnadzor[38]
Back in the 1990s,Rostelecom was created on thepost-Soviet telecom basis and later built international fiber optic cable systems — "Zapadny" (Denmark-Russia), "Yuzhny" (Italy-Turkey-Ukraine-Russia) and "Vostochny" (Russia-Japan-Korea) — as well as "Moscow-Khabarovsk" Trans-Russian Fiber Optic Line. The situation favored Russia's entry to the international telecommunication transit market. However, low transmission capacity (560 megabits per second) of all the three systems designed mainly for voice communication became the principal obstacle that hindered international expansion.
In 2005 the Chelyabinsk-Khabarovsk Fiber-Optic Communication Line was laid-down which extends for 10 thousand kilometers. The minimum transmission rate is 120 Gigabits per second.[39]
Plenty of local commercialISPs function in large cities, but most of the existing country-wide cable lines are held by small number of large operators such as former "monopolist", the state-controlledRostelecom and therailways-affiliatedTranstelecom, which operates country's biggestDWDM fiber backbone. Cell phone coverage with the digital services such asGPRS is almost ubiquitous. In year 2007 theGolden Telecom company has constructed a massiveWi-Fi network in Moscow for commercial use which is recognized as the largest urban wireless network in the world.[40] The Black Sea coast of Russia has become an important area for the fiber-optic networks, as it served as a backbone of communication during theWinter Olympic Games in 2014.
In October 2010, mobile operatorMegaFon has selectedHuawei NE5000E routers to construct backbone nodes for a 40-Gbit/s IP/MPLS network in Russia' s largest cities, including Moscow and St. Petersburg, Huawei says. Meanwhile, Megafon also announced the opening of what it touts as Russia's largest data center inSamara.[41]
In 2011 Rostelecom started implementation ofWDM-based equipment on the backbone network for data transmission in the Republic ofDagestan. Due to WDM introduction the fiber-optic communication lines bandwidth increased to 2.5 Gbit/s. Rostelecom invested about 48 million rubles in the project.[42]
Until 2011 the backbone network in Russia was based on DWDM technology with a capacity of 10 and 40 Gbit/s. The operator started projects to expand the capacity of the Transit Europe – Asia transit line at two independent branches. Communication lines are under construction within a second phase of the TEA backbone "High Speed Backbone Transit Europe-Asia". The construction of the first branch completed in 2011 (Khabarovsk –Stockholm). The second branch (Khabarovsk –Frankfurt) was completed in 2013. In addition, the expanded backbones are in the route of Khabarovsk –Nakhodka – Tokyo and Khabarovsk – Hong Kong, where equipment of 100G WDM is also applied.[43]
Presently, MasterTel, based in Moscow and Saint Petersburg, is an ISP that provides high speed fiber-optic lines of up to 10 Gbit/s per second to consumers and businesses.[44]
In 2012, the Russian Federation announced an ambitious target of providing 90% of households with "ultrafast" connection speeds of at least 100 megabits per second by 2018.[45]
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