Russian Telecommunications Regulation

Federal Law on Communications

The Federal Law on Communications (Federalny Zakon o Svyazi, No. 126-FZ of 7 July 2003) is the foundational statute governing telecommunications in the Russian Federation. The Law defines the legal framework for the operation of communications networks (seti svyazi), the provision of communication services (uslugi svyazi), the licensing of operators, and the use of the radio frequency spectrum (radiochastotny spektr). The Law establishes the principle of universal service (vseobshchee obsluzhivanie), requiring that basic communication services be available to all citizens regardless of geographic location, and creates the Universal Service Fund (Rezerv Universalnogo Obsluzhivaniya), funded by mandatory contributions from telecommunications operators.

The Law was significantly amended by the Yarovaya Law package (2016), the Sovereign Internet Law (2019), and subsequent legislation on the unified register of subscribers. The current version of the Law includes provisions on: (1) operator obligations to install technical means for investigative activities (SORM — Sistema Operativno-Rozysknykh Meropriyatiy); (2) mandatory identification of subscribers by passport data; (3) restrictions on the transmission of information via communications networks; (4) data retention obligations for metadata (three years) and content (six months); and (5) obligations to block access to prohibited information on the Unified Register.

Licensing of Telecommunications Services

Telecommunications activities in Russia require a licence issued by the Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology and Mass Media (Roskomnadzor). The Licensing of Telecommunications Activities Regulation (Decree No. 261 of 8 April 2021) establishes 16 categories of licensed communications services, including: local telephone services (mestnaya telefonnaya svyaz); long-distance and international telephone services (mezhdugorodnaya i mezhdunarodnaya telefonnaya svyaz); data transmission services (uslugi po peredache dannykh); telematic services (telematicheskie uslugi svyazi); television and radio broadcasting services; and communication services for the purposes of cable broadcasting.

The licensing procedure requires: (1) a completed application form specifying the licensed services and the territory of operation; (2) proof of payment of the state duty (currently 7,500 RUB); (3) a licence deployment plan (plan razvertyvaniya seti svyazi) demonstrating technical capability to provide the licensed services; (4) documentation of the planned use of radio frequency spectrum, where applicable; and (5) evidence of compliance with the requirements for ensuring the stable operation of communications networks. Licences are valid for 5 to 25 years depending on the category. The SORM deployment plan (plan vnedreniya tekhnologicheskikh sredstv) must be approved by the FSB as a prerequisite for licence issuance.

Numbering and Interconnection

Numbering resources are allocated by Roskomnadzor under the Russian Numbering Plan approved by Order No. 144 of 29 March 2016. The Plan assigns geographic numbers (ABC codes corresponding to geographic regions) and non-geographic numbers (DEF codes for cellular and fixed-line services). Operators must apply for numbering capacity, pay the state duty (based on the number of numbers allocated), and demonstrate efficient use of allocated resources. The number portability regime (perenosimy nomer, introduced in 2013) allows mobile subscribers to retain their number when switching operators within the same geographic region.

Interconnection obligations under Article 18 of 126-FZ require that operators with significant market power (znachitelnye operatory) provide interconnection to requesting operators on nondiscriminatory terms. The Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) has concurrent jurisdiction over interconnection disputes and has imposed fines on dominant operators for excessive interconnection charges. Termination rates (khay-kherat) are regulated by the Federal Tariff Service (FTS) and are set on a cost-oriented basis using a bottom-up costing model.

Universal Service

The universal service obligation (USO) regime, established by Articles 57–60 of 126-FZ, requires the provision of: (1) basic telephone services from a fixed-line connection; (2) public payphones in accessible locations; (3) public internet access points in libraries and post offices; and (4) communication services for state authorities and emergency services. The designated universal service operator, Rostelecom (as of 2014), is reimbursed from the Universal Service Fund, which is financed by mandatory contributions of 1.2% of operator revenues.

The digital universal service programme (2021–2030) replaces physical payphones with public Wi-Fi access points in settlements of 100–500 residents and provides satellite internet access in remote areas (including the Far North and Arctic zones). Rostelecom is required to install Wi-Fi access points with a minimum connection speed of 10 Mbps and to provide access to socially significant websites free of charge. The programme is funded through increased USO contributions and federal budget allocations.

Svyaznadzor Oversight

Svyaznadzor is the colloquial name for Roskomnadzor’s telecommunications inspection function, formally the Department for Supervision of Communications. Svyaznadzor conducts scheduled and unscheduled inspections of telecommunications operators, including: technical inspections of communications equipment; verification of SORM compliance; radio frequency spectrum monitoring; and compliance checks with licensing conditions. Inspections may be documentary (using operator-submitted documentation) or on-site (with physical inspection of facilities).

The Administrative Regulations for Inspections (Order No. 38 of 2019) require operators to maintain the following documentation: licence deployment plan; technical passport for communications equipment; SORM implementation certificate; radio spectrum permits; and interconnection agreements. Violations may result in: (1) warning letters (predpisaniya) with a timeline for compliance; (2) administrative fines under Article 13 of the Code of Administrative Offences (up to 300,000 RUB for legal entities); (3) suspension of operator activity for up to 90 days; or (4) revocation of licences.

OTT Services Regulation

Over-the-top (OTT) communication services — including messaging apps, VoIP services, and video conferencing platforms — have been subject to increasing regulation since the adoption of the Sovereign Internet Law. The Federal Law on Information, Information Technologies and Information Protection (No. 149-FZ) requires organisers of information dissemination (organisatory rasprostraneniya informatsii) — a category covering most OTT services with user-to-user communication functionality — to: (1) register with Roskomnadzor; (2) store user communications metadata for up to three years and content for up to six months on servers located in Russia; (3) provide the FSB with decryption keys where technically feasible; and (4) restrict access to prohibited content.

The Regulation on Organisers of Information Dissemination (Decree No. 1454 of 2017) expands the obligations to include verification of user identity using mobile phone numbers from Russian operators (through the Gosuslugi identity platform). Non-compliant OTT services may be subject to administrative blocking by Roskomnadzor. Telegram was blocked in Russia from 2018 to 2020 for failure to provide decryption keys before reaching a compliance agreement with Roskomnadzor in 2020. Zoom and Discord have been subject to warning letters and fines for non-compliance with data localisation requirements.

Infrastructure Regulation

The infrastructure for broadband access regulation includes requirements for: (1) ensuring access for telecommunications operators to multi-dwelling unit buildings on nondiscriminatory terms (Article 6.2 of 126-FZ); (2) the construction of fibre-optic lines to settlements with 250+ residents under the Digital Economy programme; and (3) the use of Russian-manufactured telecommunications equipment in critical infrastructure, phased in under Order No. 413 of 2022 (reaching 95% domestic equipment in public networks by 2027). The Ministry of Digital Development maintains a register of domestically produced telecommunications equipment eligible for procurement preferences.