print versionBig Russian WiMAX provider "Yota" is being blocked in the business centers of Moscow and St. Petersburg, in favor of the local operators (WiMAX-networks), reports DP.ru.
According to the publication, network blocking is being carried out by means of special jammers, which, incidentally, are easy to buy online. Three types of jamming with different power are sold on the Web, the cost ranges from 20 to 40 thousand rubles ($645 to $1290). According to Mobile Research Group, at least 2,000 devices of this kind have been sold within the past 3 months. It is a very high number for Russia, considering the fact, that Yota networks function only in 5 cities. Federal Supervision Agency for Information Technologies and Communications note that even government institutions are not allowed to use WiMAX jammers, not to mention business corporations.
First users’ complaints about the access quality to Yota in business centers appeared last autumn. Some people also say Yota is blocked in cafes where you need to pay for local Wi-Fi (in one case, it's a cafe in the heart of Moscow, at Pushkin Square).
Read more in Russian