City in Novosibirsk Oblast, Russia
Internet in Novosibirsk: speed, SIM cards and coworking
Is the internet good in Novosibirsk?
Most cafés have free wifi, often with phone-number login that needs a Russian SIM. Foreign social apps need a VPN, which often fails.
Getting online in Novosibirsk
| Details | |
|---|---|
| Home fibre | Fibre from Rostelecom, MTS and Beeline in most apartment blocks; about 400–800 RUB a month. |
| Cafés and coworking | Most cafés have free wifi, often with phone-number login that needs a Russian SIM. Foreign social apps need a VPN, which often fails. |
| Outages | Mobile internet restrictions and VPN blocks are common |
| Tourist SIM | Local SIMs need your passport and biometric checks, and can take up to two weeks. Roaming SIMs lose data for hours or days on arrival. |
| Carriers | MTS, MegaFon, Beeline, T2 |
| Monthly data plan | ₽500–900 ($6.0–10.8) |
| Blocked services | Instagram, Facebook, X and LinkedIn are blocked, YouTube is throttled, and WhatsApp and Telegram calls are restricted. Regional mobile internet shutdowns are common. Many VPNs are blocked. |
Coworking in Novosibirsk
There's no dedicated coworking scene here; people work from cafés and accommodation.
Internet speeds in Europe
National medians, Speedtest Global Index.
| Country | Fixed | Mobile |
|---|---|---|
| France | 332 Mbps | 133 Mbps |
| Iceland | 283 Mbps | — |
| Switzerland | 281 Mbps | 120 Mbps |
| Denmark | 278 Mbps | 161 Mbps |
| Romania | 276 Mbps | 83 Mbps |
| Hungary | 271 Mbps | 94 Mbps |
| Spain | 263 Mbps | 84 Mbps |
| Portugal | 252 Mbps | 128 Mbps |
| Andorra | 244 Mbps | — |
| Netherlands | 226 Mbps | 158 Mbps |
| Luxembourg | 221 Mbps | 173 Mbps |
| Poland | 215 Mbps | 109 Mbps |
Quick answers
Is the internet fast in Novosibirsk?
Most cafés have free wifi, often with phone-number login that needs a Russian SIM. Foreign social apps need a VPN, which often fails.
Which SIM card should I get in Novosibirsk?
Local SIMs need your passport and biometric checks, and can take up to two weeks. Roaming SIMs lose data for hours or days on arrival.
More about Novosibirsk
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Sources
- Speedtest Global Index: Russia
- MTS
- MegaFon
- Beeline
- T2
- Tolmachevo Airport
- Russian unified e-visa portal
- Yandex Go
Speeds are medians from Ookla's Speedtest Global Index, cited for reference. Compiled and reviewed by SoloSquare. How we compile and score this. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.