Russians face growing difficulties accessing high-speed internet – intelligence

That is according to Ukraine's Foreign Intelligence Service, Ukrinform reports.

According to the FIS, a significant portion of fiber-optic networks has already reached the end of its service life, while new fiber is being directed almost exclusively away from civilian needs.

In 2025, warranty periods expired for more than half of the main trunk cables along the west-east corridor.

By 2030, Russia will need to replace more than 400,000 km of fiber-optic lines laid in the early 2000s.

The cost of upgrading the infrastructure is estimated at hundreds of billions of rubles, while the throughput capacity of key backbone routes is already approaching critical limits.

Against this backdrop, supplies of optical fiber from China have surged.

In 2025, Russia consumed about 10% of the world's optical fiber output – largely due to the mass production of FPV drones controlled via cable and resistant to electronic warfare.

Such drones are being actively used in the war against Ukraine and account for up to 15% of global demand for optical fiber.

At the same time, Russia's civilian population, especially in rural areas, remains without proper internet access.

Residents of dozens of settlements are forced to rely solely on mobile connections with data caps and sharp drops in speed once those limits are reached, the intelligence service said.

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