Kamchatka is expected to experience a temporary region-wide internet shutdown from September 25 to 29. Authorities say the outage is needed for the final stage of work to protect the Sakhalin-Kamchatka undersea fiber-optic line in the Ust-Bolsheretsky district. According to the regional government, the interruption will last from 48 hours to four days, depending on weather conditions.
Nikolai Kiselev, the head of the regional digital ministry, said socially important facilities, including some banks, shops, and emergency services, would switch to satellite communications during the outage. The work had originally been scheduled for early August but was postponed because of the gubernatorial election and a series of powerful earthquakes.
The operation involves placing the cable into a special pipe prepared between May and August, then cutting the existing marine section and connecting it to a new land segment laid beneath Cape Levashov. Authorities say the measures are necessary because, if the backbone cable is damaged, the peninsula could lose high-speed internet for several months.
Residents have already begun preparing by withdrawing cash, buying transit passes and plane tickets, and downloading films, books, and maps. Regional government chair Yulia Morozova said residents would not be left without essential food supplies even if they forgot to withdraw cash.
“I can’t really arrange a detox from my phone and scrolling on my own, and an internet shutdown is a great opportunity,” Svetlana, a resident of Yelizovo, told Novaya-Europe. At the same time, she noted that she needs internet access for work reports and social media posts.
Irina, a resident of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, said she and people around her were “a little shocked,” though they also see the shutdown as a chance to take a break from digital noise. Another resident, Viktoria, said cutting off internet access during ongoing earthquakes was dangerous because people rely on phones and social networks for crucial information and requests for help.
On September 19, a 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Kamchatka, prompting a tsunami warning that was later lifted. Another quake of the same magnitude occurred on September 13. Experts estimate that since the 8.8-magnitude quake on July 30, the strongest in the region since the 1950s, more than 100 earthquakes have occurred, with aftershocks numbering several hundred per day.
Authorities note that the region has already suffered major communications failures. On November 15, 2023, damage to the cable disrupted internet and mobile service for residents of Kamchatka, Chukotka, and the Northern Kurils for about 14 hours, affecting card payments, ATMs, banking apps, and taxi services. After that incident, Governor Vladimir Solodov said a backup communications line was needed for emergencies.