Russia is moving toward establishing a national content delivery network to speed up internet downloads for its residents. This plan was outlined by Anton Gorelkin, deputy chairman of the State Duma Information Policy Committee and a member of United Russia, during remarks reported by TASS. The goal is to create a domestic CDN that can improve the delivery of websites and applications by caching content closer to users across the country.
A Content Delivery Network, commonly abbreviated as CDN, is a system of servers distributed across multiple networks and traffic exchange points. The purpose is to accelerate the loading of online content by serving data from a location near the end user, reducing latency and improving reliability for websites and apps with high traffic or global reach. In the Russian context, a national CDN would operate within the domestic internet infrastructure to ensure faster access even when external providers face disruptions.
Gorelkin pointed out that sanctions have disrupted the ongoing technical support for server equipment from Western manufacturers. This disruption, he argued, creates a favorable environment for Russian companies to step in and fill the gap. The intention is for the national CDN service to be built as a public-interest project that competes on market terms rather than becoming a bureaucratic entity funded by budget allocations. The deputy emphasized that Russian players in this market already have the capacity to compete with major global platforms. The plan for the model and governance structure will be developed with input from the Ministry of Digital Development, allowing for a practical framework that aligns with domestic digital policy objectives. (Source: TASS)
Historical context adds urgency to the discussion. In September 2022, Microsoft and Netflix halted traffic through their own CDN servers at the Moscow exchange point MSK-IX. Earlier, in June of the same year, Russia disabled Google Global Cache, a platform designed to speed up content delivery. These shifts underscore the growing drive to reduce reliance on external infrastructure and cultivate a self-sufficient national digital ecosystem. (Source: TASS)