Wear and Tear of Communication Networks Threatens Internet Outages

Russia faces a growing risk of internet disruptions due to the critical wear and tear of its backbone communication networks. More than half of the fiber-optic lines have exceeded their guaranteed service life of 25 years, posing a threat to the stability of the country's digital space.

Critical Infrastructure Wear Level

According to the draft updated strategy by the Ministry of Digital Development, the condition of backbone fiber-optic lines is assessed as critical. More than 50% of these assets have exhausted their resource lifespan, which was established during construction and operation over decades.

Scale of Required Modernization

To ensure uninterrupted operation until 2030, more than 400,000 kilometers of cable need to be replaced. With an average repair cost of about one million rubles per kilometer, total infrastructure upgrade costs could reach approximately 400 billion rubles.

Risk Factors for Internet Connectivity

Over the past decade, internet traffic volume in Russia has grown roughly tenfold, reaching 218.8 exabytes. Older lines struggle to transmit signals under increasing loads, and accidents on sections without backup routes can lead to large-scale connectivity outages.