The measure could apply once users exceed a 50-gigabyte limit, though the fee amount has not been disclosed, BBC Russian reported, citing a source in the telecom market. The initiative's stated goal is to curb VPN services outside Kremlin control, whose traffic operators treat as international.
A source at one of the "big four" operators — MTS, Beeline, MegaFon and T2 — confirmed the topic has been raised again but could not provide an exact launch date or sum.
In early spring, according to BBC and Forbes, the Digital Development Ministry asked operators to set a 15-gigabyte limit for foreign traffic by May 1 and charge 150 rubles for each gigabyte beyond it. Later, RBC sources in the telecom market said authorities decided to postpone the measure until the State Duma elections, held September 18–20.
Telecom analyst Alexei Boiko noted in late April that charging for foreign traffic would require solving technical problems of tracking it for each of the country's 180 million users. Such changes to network settings would take months, and in some cases six months.
Commercial 5G networks launched on September 11 in 16 cities. According to the Digital Development Ministry, about 10 million people gained access. Operators work only on previously allocated LTE frequencies, since the frequencies used for 5G elsewhere in the world are occupied in Russia by the FSB and the Defense Ministry. Only owners of Android devices can use 5G — access for iPhones depends on Apple's decision.