The Ministry of Digital Development has confirmed that it is working on a mechanism for additional charges for international mobile traffic. Against the backdrop of this news, former presidential advisor on internet development German Klimenko named a benchmark: about 60 dollars per month per gigabyte of foreign traffic — that’s approximately 4,500 ₽ in Russia at the current exchange rate. The figure has not been approved, but it is already being discussed at the level of public estimates.
They are planning to set an unrealistic price for international traffic
Which iPhone Apps Could Consume Foreign Traffic
For Apple users, the key question is which scenarios could fall under international traffic. Formally, almost everything that goes through a VPN to a foreign server qualifies as a “foreign” connection, as well as some regular services with servers located outside of Russia.
In practice, this applies to everyday things:
A gigabyte of internet via VPN could cost 60 dollars, — former presidential advisor Klimenko
- VPN apps running on iPhone and iPad
- access to foreign services and websites
- downloading updates and apps from the App Store if traffic goes through foreign nodes
- cloud services and messengers with servers abroad
Even downloading an app from the App Store will consume international traffic
How exactly international traffic will be calculated — neither the Ministry of Digital Development nor operators have specified yet, nor whether it will be separated from regular traffic. Without these details, it’s impossible to estimate the actual bill — and this is the main uncertainty in the story.
The Ministry of Digital Development Is Preparing Charges for International Traffic
This is not about a ready-made tariff, but about preparing a mechanism. The Ministry of Digital Development confirmed that the parameters for additional tarification of international traffic for mobile subscribers are being worked out — this was reported by Kommersant citing the agency. So at the time of publication, the status is “under discussion,” not “implemented.”
Earlier, Forbes reported that the ministry proposed that operators charge for using more than 15 GB of international traffic. This is an important threshold: essentially, regular mobile traffic within the country continues as before, but foreign connections exceeding the limit will be charged separately.
Why a Gigabyte of Foreign Traffic Was Estimated at 60 Dollars
The specific amount was named not by the regulator, but by German Klimenko — head of the council of the Fund for Digital Economy Development and former presidential advisor on internet development. In an interview with Radiotochka NSN, he drew an analogy with international eSIMs: today an international electronic SIM card costs about 60 dollars per month and includes approximately one gigabyte of traffic, and roughly similar rates, in his estimation, are possible here as well.
Mobile traffic structure: the international segment could become a separate expense item
It’s important to understand the status of this figure:
- this is a personal expert estimate, not an approved tariff
- the Ministry of Digital Development has not publicly named specific prices
- Klimenko himself admits that at such prices, 70–80% of users simply won’t pay for such traffic
In other words, 60 dollars is a benchmark for discussion, not a line in a future bill from your carrier.
How Far Will 15 GB of International Traffic Go
The 15 GB monthly international traffic threshold reported by Forbes looks significant but not extreme. For an iPhone user who keeps VPN turned on constantly, such a limit could be consumed by:
All foreign apps will consume traffic
- several hours of high-quality video through foreign services
- active use of cloud storage on foreign servers
- regular app and system updates through foreign nodes
If VPN is turned on selectively — for specific sites and apps — 15 GB will be enough for most people. But if VPN runs in “always on” mode, the limit can be used up in a couple of weeks.
Mobile Internet Usage on iPhone: How to Check
The short answer is no, no urgent action is needed. The tariff has not been approved, prices have not been announced, and no timeline has been given. All that exists now is confirmation that the mechanism is being worked out and a public expert estimate.
What you can reasonably do in advance without panicking:
- Check in your iPhone settings which apps actively use mobile traffic — the “Cellular” section shows usage per app.
- Determine whether you need VPN constantly or only for specific services — this will help you stay within any limit later.
- Don’t rush to change your plan or carrier until specific terms are announced.
Traffic usage per app can be viewed here
Those who use VPN on their iPhone every day and consume a lot of mobile traffic away from home should keep an eye on this topic. For them, a potential 60 dollars per gigabyte is a real risk of overpaying, and understanding your traffic structure in advance is useful.
