Key Russian Internet provider Cogent Communications cuts country off - report

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• Cogent Communications (CCOI +0.4%) is cutting off Russian Internet customers in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, The Washington Post reports.
• The U.S.-based telecom is one of the world's largest providers of Internet backbone - and a key provider to Russia, where one of its customers is Russia's top Internet service providers, state-owned Rostelecom. (Rostelecom in turn provides Internet service to many of Russia's government sites.)
• Russia has other backbone routes to the rest of the world, but Cogent is among its biggest, the Post notes - which will lead to disruption even if it doesn't knock the nation offline.
• The cutoffs were set to begin at noon Eastern U.S. time.
• Ukraine has been lobbying U.S. Internet companies to cut Russia off, and any other providers that follow Cogent that way would amplify the impact.

Comments

[Justin Wiedeman]

It's simple. The liability of carrying the signal is greater than the income.

[SteveBud]

Good decision. Strangle putin.

[Larry Hall]

Punishing the Russian people is one of the only methods or routes to a possible toppling of this murderous dictator. Until he his gone, Russia - also because it has nuclear weapons which he has threatened to use in this crisis - is not a legitimate member of the community of nations.

[Justin Wiedeman]

@Larry Hall

Communication by this company cannot prevent hacks from Russia.

It's a liability issue.

www.lumen.com/...

[grandduke]

@Larry Hall Punishing the Russians for no reason will backfire. The Russians have already rallied around Putin. As history shows, Russia will eventually emerge victorious.

[T25D52]

@Larry Hall Disengaging from Russia and the Russian people will not only make the world less safe, but will also likely make the resurgence of BRIC a necessity.

[ls1gto]

And what benefit do they get out of it? A few likes on facebook and twitter? A target off their back in the eyes of some progressives?

In the end all these actions accomplish is alienate regular people, some of whom do not agree with this invasion, against the west even more. I wish more people in our society could see further ahead than their nose.

[JayPar]

@ls1gto progressives?what’s your plan? Let Putin topple country after country?

[ls1gto]

@JayPar the plan is really simple. You sit down at the table face to face and negotiate a solution that prevents wwiii that no one wants. Too bad our current leader is not capable of doing that.

[quakerpop]

@ls1gto to suggest that anyone strongly opposed to a tyrant invading a sovereign neighbor - that represents 0 legitimate threat, targeting military and civilian targets in equal measure while threatening nuclear devastation to anyone who tries to stop him - is a wacky idealist is quite frankly a statement about your own diminished morality and character.

[braticus]

Intentionally targeting civilians is a slippery slope, and will only lead to a worse outcome.

[SteveBud]

@braticus that's not what's happening. Keep trying.

[Keops]

Just un-route all russian tcp/ip subnets

no ip route x.x.0.0

Rest of the world will handle it, after all internet was invented by DARPA
for redundancy

[Mr Nobodi]

The article seems to be hinting that the purpose is to cut off Russian government sites. Not that I know what effect this actually has.

[Wilbodave]

Who came up with this bad idea? The Russian government is already cutting of Facebook to prevent Russians from getting news from outside Russia.

[cpr1200r100]

@Wilbodave so you dont think the the Russian Government and Infrastructure is not dependent on the inernet.
Whatever Ruskie.

[Wilbodave]

@cpr1200r100

That's just wrong calling me Ruskie. I actually was on active duty under President Regan during the last years of the cold war. Don't be a dick.

I personally think it's more important that the Russian people have access to the truth, and not just what Putin is telling him.

[zoeshamu]

@Wilbodave Why provide any service to Russia when you can't get paid for it? That's what sanctions mean and cutoff from SWIFT.

[Taurus Eternal]

yes, lets punish the Russian people for the actions of Putin. surely they'll rise up and cast him out, just like the Iranians did with the Ayatollah in Iran

"death to America!" 🙄

[DirtyMike]

@Taurus Eternal there are plenty of examples of citizens rising up to topple their governments. Putin needs to be ousted and the West does not have the means to do it directly. Only indirectly through the Russian people.

[Taurus Eternal]

@DirtyMike we'll see. i suspect all of this will only make the russians "rally around the flag" and become more nationalistic. but perhaps im wrong

[DirtyMike]

@Taurus Eternal some of them, who buy into the propaganda, may rally around the flag. The others who see their bank accounts shrink, have less media to consume (movies/video games/streaming shows), can't buy any goods, and can't travel anywhere will soon realize their new reality is due to their leader.

[bill h illify]

The Russian people need to see real events

[T25D52]

What does this accomplish? Isolating Russian people and cutting their ability to communicate with the outside world will help strengthen Putin's propaganda. Do we really want to turn Russia into North Korea on steroids? This risks making the world less safe, the opposite of what we should be working towards.

[zoeshamu]

@T25D52 Another month of these tight nut-squeezing sanctions, let's see what monies Russians can get access to.

[ArminBrack]

@T25D52 otherwise Putin blocks western media and distributes his crude theses via Internet propaganda. But your points are also valid.

[DirtyMike]

@T25D52 Maybe the people's anger will change things within their government. A toppling needs a catalyst.

[SANCH3Z]

What about the citizens? The people who want nothing to do with this dude?

[Mr Briggens]

@SANCH3Z

Then they need to get rid of him ASAP.

[Safety Dance]

@SANCH3Z I think the logic is they should take their former computer, now paperweight, and whack Putin upside the head with it.

[Value Investment Club]

@SANCH3Z The people of russia need to rise up and take down the government. Take back their country.

[J-Flo]

Good! A little bit here a little bit there really starts to add up!

[toddycst]

@J-Flo How are the citizens supposed to figure out the truth though if they don't have internet and access to western news?

[zoeshamu]

@toddycst The old fashion way, calling on the old POTS telephone to their families outside of Russia ... asking "What the hell is going on?" My global internet was cut off ... just local S**t on the Russian sitcom called Putin-TV.

[Mr Briggens]

@toddycst

Per my Latvian friend, 50% of Latvians are ethnic Russians who are in close contact with their Russian relatives. Word will filter into Russia.

[zoeshamu]

Awesome news ... good job Cogent Comms! I think the global community needs to make all Russians feel the pain, not just Putin. I mean all Russians in Russia itself. Those who think its not their problem etc. Indirectly, thru Putin, they are causing this issue with Ukraine, and thinking its business as usual. The Russian public that stands on the sidelines and ignoring this. Its like someone outsourcing food making to another country, and the food is killing someone else. They can't say its not their fault and not do something about it. They are indirectly responsible - all of them.

Ignorance is not an excuse.

[Andres Rueda]

@zoeshamu Didn't happen to random Americans during the Iraq war or Afghanistan. Why the double standard? Do you also support disabled Russian athletes getting banned from the Paralympics?

[zoeshamu]

@Andres Rueda Yes. If Russians are bombing schools, hospitals etc, I don't see why this is more important?

[Andres Rueda]

@zoeshamu I remember that during the Clinton years an F-15 dropped a bomb on a bridge and killed a busload of Serbian children. That incident was quickly swept under the rug by the mainstream American media. Be that as it may, you are convincing Russians that Putin is right. You ARE a threat to them.

[CuPoTKa]

Last time there was a sea blockade and embargo on heavy militarized country - Pearl Harbor and Hiroshima happened.

[Safety Dance]

@CuPoTKa Yeah a cornered Putin armed to the teeth with nukes I see no problems here. Nothing can possibly go wrong.

[SqueakyToy]

It's beyond clear by now that Putin's much hyped army isn't as advertised.

[RUBYRUBY3]

@SqueakyToy
Twitter still sending out videos PUTIN meet Waterloo
USD to RUBBLE now 122.91 makes American inflation look tiny

twitter.com/...

[the dogman]

Good !

[Safety Dance]

May you live in interesting times.