Russian Mobile Giants Block Landline Business Calls Under Anti-Spam Rules

A fresh government drive to combat phone scams in Russia has backfired into mutual network blackouts. According to a letter sent to the government by the Communications Companies Association (AKS), which represents dozens of regional landline providers, business customers on fixed networks are increasingly unable to reach mobile subscribers.

On September 1, 2025, mandatory anti-fraud regulations took effect requiring businesses and sole proprietors to maintain two separate telecom contracts: one for labeling outgoing calls and another specifically covering automated bulk calls. The intention was to eliminate spoofing and unverified robocalls by tracking call legitimacy through inter-carrier notifications.

Instead of coordinating, the dominant mobile carriers—MTS, MegaFon, T2 Mobile (T2), and VimpelCom (operating as Beeline)—are allegedly ignoring standard labeling notices sent via email and electronic document registries. According to AKS, the major mobile players are instead demanding direct client or agency agreements before they will route the traffic.

Because the mobile giants classify incoming business traffic broadly as automated bulk calling, virtually any regular corporate call from a fixed network risks getting dropped. AKS executive director Yaroslav Dubovikov told business daily RBC that disruptions began spreading in mid-July and reached nationwide scale by mid-September.

The association argues this conduct violates Government Decree No. 1300, turning an anti-fraud measure into forced contracting. Meanwhile, state authorities have already intervened in other sectors: the Ministry of Digital Development recently urged the Central Bank of Russia to enforce call-labeling compliance across commercial banks to prevent broader disruptions.

Source: habr (reporting via РБК)