Russia to double spending on internet traffic blocking and filtering
Russia plans to spend nearly 60 billion rubles over the next three years on its system for filtering and blocking internet resources, according to an appendix to the draft budget reviewed by the business magazine Forbes Russia.
Russia intends to double its spending on internet traffic blocking and filtering over the next three years, according to a budget draft reviewed by Forbes Russia. The increased funding will be allocated to the Chief Radio Frequency Center (GRChTs), an entity under Roskomnadzor, Russia’s federal media regulator, which manages the automated system safeguarding the Russian segment of the internet (ASBI).
Initially, a plan allocated 32 billion rubles for ASBI’s operation over the same period two years ago. The reason behind the doubling remains unclear, with no response from the Finance Ministry or Digital Development Ministry press services to Forbes Russia’s inquiries.
Experts attribute the rising costs to the escalating prices of necessary equipment, like processors, RAM, and storage drives, driven by the growing internet traffic volumes. Additionally, sanctions complicate Russia's ability to procure imported components. ASBI's geographical scope is expanding, with the "sovereign Runet" law mandating telecom operators to install Russia's internet traffic filtering system (TSPU) on their networks.
However, this equipment has not yet been installed in the occupied territories of Ukraine, as noted by Alexey Amelkin, president of the Association of Telecom Operators Makatel. The escalating costs are further exacerbated by the potential integration of AI into TSPU, which would necessitate additional funding.
Written by urgent.news from Meduza (English)'s reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
