Story perspectives

Moscow Communication Outages Spark Surge in Alternative Devices

3/14/2026

Summary

Story summary

Outages that began on March 3 have forced Moscow residents to rely on alternative communication methods.
Pager sales rose 73% while walkie-talkie and landline purchases increased by 27% and 25%, respectively.
The Kremlin says the disruptions are for security reasons.
The outages have caused estimated daily losses of 1 billion roubles for businesses.
The government plans to fully block Telegram by April, pushing users toward the state-controlled app MAX.

History

Historical Context

The Yarovaya Law, enacted by the Russian government in 2017, mandated extensive data retention and surveillance by telecom companies, leading to a 73% surge in pager sales as citizens sought alternatives to state-controlled communication. In 2018, Roskomnadzor blocked Telegram for refusing to share encryption keys, reflecting ongoing efforts to tighten information control and limit personal privacy in Russia.

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Story summary

Outages that began on March 3 have forced Moscow residents to rely on alternative communication methods.
Pager sales rose 73% while walkie-talkie and landline purchases increased by 27% and 25%, respectively.
The Kremlin says the disruptions are for security reasons.
The outages have caused estimated daily losses of 1 billion roubles for businesses.
The government plans to fully block Telegram by April, pushing users toward the state-controlled app MAX.

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