Russia Proposes Mandatory Access for Three ISPs in New Apartment Blocks

Russia's Ministry of Digital Development has drafted a bill that would require developers to build telecom infrastructure able to host the networks of at least three different operators in every new or reconstructed apartment building. The rules would cover both the internal premises of a building and the cable facilities on the site and beyond it.

What the bill requires

The three-operator requirement would have to be written into design documentation at the construction or reconstruction stage. If no ready cable infrastructure of sufficient capacity exists nearby, the operator connecting the building, or other parties by agreement, would have to build it. The authority issuing the commissioning permit would check that the telecom infrastructure matches the project and the norms. A building that fails would not be allowed into operation. The government would set the detailed standards and the criteria for which buildings are covered.

The draft also bans "capturing" infrastructure: one operator, or operators from the same group of companies, may not occupy more than one network slot if that blocks room for three independent operators. Owners of the infrastructure must give operators access for a fee no higher than economically justified costs plus necessary profit.

To curb excessive reservation, capacity may not be held back beyond the calculated need without actual use. If infrastructure goes unused and unrequested for two years in a row, it is deemed over-reserved. The owner keeps ownership but must grant operators access on the same terms as used infrastructure.

Timeline and background

The access rules would apply from 1 March 2028, and the infrastructure requirements would cover buildings whose construction permit or design approval is obtained after that date.

The bill follows a prolonged dispute between developer PIK, operator Lovitel and other telecom companies. In March 2025 a DDoS attack on Lovitel left thousands of residents of PIK buildings without internet, pay TV and some smart-home services, revealing that Lovitel was effectively the only provider in PIK complexes. In September 2025 the Federal Antimonopoly Service opened a case, finding that Lovitel and management companies in Moscow, the Moscow region and St Petersburg restricted other providers' access. The regulator concluded Lovitel is affiliated with the PIK group, leaving residents without a choice.