Mobile Internet Speeds in Russia Fall in Early 2023, with Regional Gaps and Tariff Pressures
In February 2023, mobile internet speeds across Russian regions showed a downturn when compared with the same period in the prior year. The average fell by about 7 percent, landing at 18.3 megabits per second. This finding comes from a report cited by the newspaper News, which attributed the decline to ongoing strains in the country’s telecom sector. The situation hints at broader mobility and connectivity challenges that could have downstream effects on services used by people across the United States and Canada who rely on international coverage and roaming networks.
TelecomDaily conducted surveys with respondents who reported sporadic difficulties connecting to the web. In several cases, mobile apps relied on continuous connectivity, and users found it harder to keep these tools working smoothly. Analysts pointed to a shortage of network equipment as a key contributor, with supply chains for essential hardware disrupted since the spring of the previous year. The result is uneven performance across cities and regions, which matters to service quality and user experience for travelers and remote workers who depend on reliable mobile data in North America as they plan cross-border operations.
Conversely, TelecomDaily CEO Denis Kuskov noted that residents of Moscow and St. Petersburg did not face the same connectivity hurdles. He explained that in major urban centers, mobile internet issues could impact operators’ image and customer satisfaction more directly, making stable service critical for large populations and for international operators serving these markets. This urban-leaning dynamic contrasts with regional areas where a speed drop of 20–30 percent might go largely unnoticed by local users, underscoring how coverage quality can vary dramatically even within a single country.
In parallel, data from the Ministry of Digital Development indicates that mobile internet traffic rose by more than 20 percent in the first nine months of 2022 when compared with the same period in 2021. This growth suggests that overall demand for mobile data remained robust amid supply challenges, a trend that resonates with global consumer behavior in connected economies. For readers in Canada and the United States, the figures illustrate how regulatory environments and market conditions can influence network usage patterns and the rollout of next-generation services across borders.
In early February, Alexander Sivolobov, Vice President of the NTI Wireless Communications and Internet of Things Competence Center at Skolkovo Institute, suggested that tariff changes were unlikely to push the mobile data price increases beyond a modest single-digit rise by year’s end. While this estimate originates from a domestic research body, it invites broader considerations for international observers tracking how local policy and market dynamics might affect cross-border roaming costs, service bundles, and consumer expectations in North America. The dialogue around tariffs emphasizes the need for transparent pricing and steady investment in infrastructure to sustain growth in mobile connectivity between regions and continents.