In mid-April, telecom operators discussed with the Ministry of Digital Development a possible postponement of introducing charges for international internet traffic exceeding 15 GB per month. The launch, scheduled for May 1, has been called into question — operators are not technically ready, and the regulatory framework has still not been developed. For users of iPhone, Mac, and any devices that work through VPN, this means a temporary reprieve — but not a cancellation of the initiative.
The May Day VPN charge appears to be slightly delayed
Why Operators Are Not Ready to Introduce Charges for International Traffic
According to Vedomosti, some operators can meet the May 1 requirement, but others will need time until autumn. A specific new deadline has not yet been determined. However, another requirement has already been fulfilled by developers: Russian apps with VPN no longer open.
The main technical problem is operators’ billing systems — internal platforms that count traffic in real time, apply tariffs, and charge fees. Reconfiguring these systems to specifically account for international traffic is a non-trivial task, especially when an operator has dozens of tariff plans with different conditions.
In addition, the operator will need to notify the subscriber in advance about approaching the 15 GB limit and warn about the need to top up the balance. This mechanism also needs to be implemented from scratch.
International Traffic: Why iCloud and App Store Also Fall Under It
One of the key problems: it’s unclear exactly which traffic should be classified as international. Many Russian companies use servers with foreign IP addresses for their websites and apps. And Russian companies providing hosting services will also have to detect VPN on their infrastructure and block it. This means that a regular visit to a domestic service could be counted as international traffic — and vice versa.
Uploaded photos to iCloud over mobile network — spent international traffic
For iPhone and Mac owners, this is especially relevant. iCloud, App Store, iOS updates and macOS, photo syncing, backups — all of this goes through Apple’s servers abroad. Under the current logic of the initiative, such traffic could count toward the 15 GB limit, even if the user doesn’t enable any VPN.
Exceeding the 15 GB Limit: What Happens Next
This aspect has also not been worked out. According to Vedomosti, the regulator and operators have no unified decision on the limit. Three options are being considered:
- Reducing access speed to international resources
- Automatic deduction of additional charges
- Complete disconnection of access to international traffic
Each of these scenarios affects everyday device usage differently. If they choose disconnection — cloud services, messengers with foreign servers, and system updates will stop working. If automatic billing — you could receive an unexpected charge.
Who Will Be Affected by Paid VPN Traffic
Formally, the Ministry of Digital Development’s initiative concerns international traffic in general, not just VPN. But in practice, VPN users generate the main volume of international traffic because all their internet passes through foreign servers.
Several groups are at risk:
- Those who use VPN to access blocked services
- iCloud users who actively sync photos and backups
- Remote workers who work through corporate VPNs with foreign servers
- Gamers, streamers, and everyone who consumes a lot of content from foreign platforms
Updated iOS over mobile internet — traffic is gone
15 GB per month is not that much. A single full iOS update weighs about 5-6 GB, and an iPhone backup to iCloud can take significantly more.
When Could Russia Introduce Charges for VPN Traffic
A new deadline has not been announced. Some operators mention autumn, but there has been no formal postponement from the Ministry of Digital Development at the time of publication. The issue remains under discussion.
It’s important to understand: this is not about canceling the initiative, but about a delay. If the mechanism is eventually launched, it will affect all subscribers of Russian telecom operators, regardless of device — whether it’s an iPhone, an Android smartphone, or a Mac with a wired connection through a mobile hotspot.
For now, the innovation is stalling at the stage of basic technical questions. For regular users, this is a reason to follow the news but not panic: neither the deadlines nor the specific rules have been approved yet. If you actively use VPN or Apple cloud services, it’s worth estimating your international traffic volume in advance — just in case the 15 GB limit is actually introduced.
