WELCOME TO SAINT PETERSBURG 2019

In March 1991, the National Science Foundation began to allow Eastern Bloc countries to connect to the global TCP/IP network (the "Internet proper").^[10]
By the mid-1990s, computer networks (where TCP/IP was replacing UUCP) appeared in many branches of regular life and commerce in Post-Soviet states. The Internet became a popular means of communication for anyone in the world who spoke Russian. National so-called Nets of former Soviet Republics began to occur (e.g. Uznet, Kaznet and others).
In October 2007, then-Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev announced that all of schools in Russia (about 59,000) were connected to the Internet, but later concerns were publicized that there were problems with a contractor to serve them. Also in December 2007, as a follow-up to the noted Ponosov's Case, which dealt with the use of illegal software in Russian schools, plans were announced to officially test Linux in the schools of Perm Krai, Tatarstan and Tomsk Oblast to determine the feasibility of further implementing Linux-based education in the country's other regions.^[11] In subsequent years test results were considered successful, but new organizational problems appeared, including obscurities with distribution of funds assigned by state.^[12]
According to statistics of the European Council, in the second half of 2012 the number of new subscribers connected by technology FTTx (fiber to building) in Russia increased by 2.2 million people, more than all 27 countries of the European Union combined. The total number of households with lets FTTx connection was 7.5 million. This means that in 2012 over 40% of the fixed line broadband users were connected by fiber optics.^[13]
Russia has achieved notable progress in achieving broadband connectivity for its citizens. Mobile broadband connectivity is close to average for advanced economies (60 active subscriptions for every 100 inhabitants), the rates of mobile phone penetration is one of the highest in the world, and Russia is a global leader in the affordability of fixed broadband, with subscriber costs meeting the affordability criteria of the UN International Telecommunication Union meeting more than 90 percent of Russian households. Russia's average Internet connection speed of 7.4 Mbps is also almost twice the global average of 3.8 Mbps.^[14]
However, Russia still faces challenges in the digital divide in reaching rural and remote areas. Fixed broadband penetration is highest in Moscow and lowest in the Chechen republic. Given Russia's enormous size and diverse levels of development, the digital divide continues to persist.

Population

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Internet in Russia or Russian Internet (Russian: российский Интернет which means Russia-related Internet) and sometimes Runet (using first two letters from Russian plus net) is a part of the Internet which is related to Russia. As of 2015 Internet access in Russia is available to businesses and to home users in various forms, including dial-up, cable, DSL, FTTH, mobile, wireless and satellite.
As of July 2016 108,772,470 people (76.4% of the country's total population) were Internet users.^[1]
In September 2011 Russia overtook Germany on the European market with the highest number of unique visitors online.^[2] In March 2013 a survey found that Russian had become the second most commonly used language on the web.^[3] Internet in Russia is also sometimes called Runet, although that term mostly refers to the Russian-language Internet.
Russians are strong users of social networks, of which Odnoklassniki.ru (used by 75% of 25-35 y.o. Russians in 2009) and VKontakte are the most popular. LiveJournal has also been long popular.^[4]