Sales of pagers and paper maps rise in Moscow due to internet outages

Mar 13, 2026 - 18:05

Residents of Moscow have begun buying pagers, handheld radios, landline phones, road maps and foldable paper maps following internet outages in early March.

Source: Bloomberg

Details: According to data from Wildberries, one of Russia's largest online retailers, sales of handheld radios are up 27% compared with early February, sales of landline phones have increased by 25%, and pager sales have soared by 73%.

Sales of paper road maps saw the sharpest increase – 170%. Foldable maps were purchased 70% more often.

Background:

Mobile internet has been switched off in Moscow since 5 March. Local mobile operators said the disruptions have been caused by "external restrictions" beyond their control.
The internet outages in Moscow have caused losses of RUB 3-5 billion (about US$38-63 million), or around RUB 41 million (US$510,000) per hour.

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