Russian Internet Takes a Hit as Cogent Disconnects Backbone Network

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

Cogent Communications told its Russian customers on Friday it's disconnected its high-capacity internet service because of Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the resulting economic punishment much of the rest of the world has begun.

"In light of the unwarranted and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, Cogent is terminating all of your services effective at 5 PM GMT on March 4, 2022," the US company said in an email to customers, according to network monitoring and analysis firm Kentik. "The economic sanctions put in place as a result of the invasion and the increasingly uncertain security situation make it impossible for Cogent to continue to provide you with service."

The move doesn't mean Russia has no internet access, but it does mean a major traffic conduit is gone. Cogent operates more than 100,000 miles' worth of fiber optic links between and within cities in North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Australia and Africa.

Cogent's Russian cutoff is a new step toward a "splinternet," a fragmented internet infrastructure that some online powers worry will weaken the utility of the globe-spanning communication technology. China's Great Firewall for years has censored and blocked many services. On Friday, Russia began blocking Facebook.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/russian-internet-takes-a-hit-as-cogent-disconnects-backbone-network/ar-AAUJCHb

[highplainsdem]

1. Bravo!!!

[roamer65]

2. Pull all of the connections.

[crickets]

3. This may be a bad idea.

The internet is intended to be worldwide and open; any attempt to disrupt it, whether from Putin's end or business interests in the West, sets a bad precedent.

It doesn't punish Putin. It plays into his hands, making his grip on information access all the tighter, while propaganda ramps up in what's left of Russia's 'information' sources. It's the Russian people who are going to get burned.

[uponit7771]

4. +1, the enemy of Russian people is Putrid disinformation and MAGAStanian cult like thinking

[ZonkerHarris]

7. If the Russian people don't like their economy crashing and being cut off from the world

technologically they know what to do.

[crickets]

9. True, I agree.

But the same could have been said (and likely was in some circles) about the American people and tfg. None of us faced 15 years of prison and possible conscription for daring to protest against him. No amount of protest got rid of him. Two impeachments didn't get rid of him.

Someone with real power or someone in the ranks near him will have to rid the world of the Putin problem. It's likely the Russian people themselves have no means to do it, even with thousands willing to protest on the streets today.

[lindysalsagal]

5. I hope they lose TV, internet, and are stuck with radio and leaflets.

I hope the russians are absolutely miserable, hungry and cold.

[lpbk2713]

6. Now Putin will have to fall back to Radio Shack gear to move his troops.

Or maybe carrier pigeons.

[Lucid Dreamer]

8. Looking forward to resurgence of samizdat in Russia.

def: Samizdat was a form of dissident activity across the socialist Eastern Bloc in which individuals reproduced censored and underground makeshift publications...

[crickets]

10. +1