Kamchatka Region Prepares for Extended Internet Outage Due to Undersea Cable Upgrades

Authorities in the Kamchatka Peninsula of Far East Russia announced Wednesday that urgent upgrades to an undersea cable will lead to a regionwide internet outage for at least five days, beginning next week.

The regional government indicated that the state telecommunications company Rostelecom will undertake «extensive» work on the Sakhalin-Kamchatka fiber-optic cable from September 25 to 29. This work will enhance the land-based infrastructure to mitigate the risk of prolonged outages in case of cable deterioration or damage.

During the outage, banks, emergency services, supermarkets, and other critical services will rely on satellite communications, according to the government.

“Residents will have access to essential food supplies, even if they forget to withdraw cash,» stated Yulia Morozova, the head of the regional government.

Additionally, the Digital Ministry of the Kamchatka region reported on Wednesday that cable damage further inland has caused service disruptions in four of Kamchatka’s eleven districts. Repair teams have been dispatched; however, no estimated timeline for restoring service has been provided.

Regions throughout Russia have experienced frequent internet disruptions since May, coinciding with an increase in Ukrainian drone attacks. Officials state that disabling mobile internet is a measure to prevent drones from being directed or receiving targeting information through civilian networks.