Russia caps internet speed for heavy users in three cities

The Russian Internet provider Dom.ru, owned by ER-Telecom, has introduced speed limits for subscribers in Saint Petersburg, Samara and Yekaterinburg starting in February.

The restrictions apply to users who consume more than 3 TB of traffic per month. Once this threshold is exceeded, the speed of wired internet access will be forcibly reduced to 50 Mbps, per a Russian newspaper.

ER-Telecom explained that excessive traffic volumes are usually linked not to personal use but to subscribers’ commercial activities. According to the provider’s statistics, 85% of Dom.ru customers use no more than 500 GB per month. As a result, the new rule may affect less than 1% of users.

Subscribers affected by the restriction are offered two options: either pay extra to maintain higher speeds or wait until access is automatically restored the following month. The Federal Antimonopoly Service of Russia plans to review the operator’s actions. The agency will request an economic and technological justification for the new rules.

By Khagan Isayev