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- Communication with obstacles: developers continue to interfere with the work of providers in residential buildings
Communication with obstacles: developers continue to interfere with the work of providers in residential buildings
Developers continue to create obstacles to connecting providers to apartment buildings. The most serious cases are related to rush hour: according to operators, technological openings for laying Internet cables are being sealed in homes and access to infrastructure is being restricted. The Federal Antimonopoly Service, which had previously ordered the developer to remove barriers in residential complexes, has launched a new trial. Why developers massively violate the law on non—discriminatory access to infrastructure and how to solve this problem is in the Izvestia article.
Why can't providers get into the PEAK residential complex
Despite the current legislation on non-discriminatory access of providers to residential buildings, management companies and HOAs continue to hinder telecom operators. Representatives of companies and experts told Izvestia about this. In particular, providers still have not been able to lay networks in PEAK homes, although the Federal Antimonopoly Service had previously ordered them to provide such an opportunity. According to an employee of one of the operators, when trying to connect to the developer's residential complexes, it turned out that access to the cable sewerage and other infrastructure necessary for laying networks was blocked.
Alkhas Mirzabekov, General Director of JSC "YESK", is also aware of the obstacles on the part of the developer. According to him, the technological holes for cables are welded or filled with concrete, access to the cable risers is closed, the entrances are walled up, and the cabinets for equipment are locked. Providers who surveyed homes were unable to access the infrastructure to connect residents to group applications, he noted.
Formally, the FAS order has been fulfilled, but in fact, conditions have been created in new residential complexes that hinder competition and deprive residents of the right to choose an operator, Alkhas Mirzabekov said. In his opinion, PIK Group, as a leading developer, artificially creates additional reasons for discontent among residents of Moscow and the Moscow region.
The operators informed the FAS about new obstacles in the provision of services in residential complexes of PIK, including restrictions on access to cable entries into houses, follows from the materials of the department. The FAS has initiated administrative proceedings in connection with violations of antimonopoly legislation and intends to fine PIK and the operator Lovitel for restricting access to providers.
Fines from 20,000 to 50,000 rubles or disqualification for up to three years are provided for officials of management companies. For Lovitel, a turnover penalty in the amount of 1 to 15% of revenue in the Internet access services market is possible, the FAS points out. The agency continues to monitor the access of telecom operators to apartment buildings (MCD), including PIK residential complexes, its press service told Izvestia.
In January 2026, the Federal Antimonopoly Service ordered PIK to continue preventing unmotivated, technologically and economically unjustified refusals to provide third-party operators with access to residential building infrastructure.
— PIK faithfully fulfilled all the requirements of the Federal Antimonopoly Service within the established time frame. The company continues to cooperate with the agency and provides the necessary assistance in the framework of ongoing inspections," the developer's press service says.
Izvestia sent a request to Lovitel.
According to the law, Internet service providers must have unhindered access to apartment buildings, the Ministry of Finance noted. For violating the rules of interaction with telecom operators, administrative responsibility has been established for organizations that manage MCD, they recalled.
— All appeals to the Ministry regarding the non-admission of telecom operators are reviewed and, if necessary, submitted to the antimonopoly service and the prosecutor's office. The Ministry of Finance is cooperating with regulatory authorities on this issue and expects that all measures taken will reduce the number of cases when providers block access to home infrastructure.
What are the problems with other management companies?
Operators face access problems not only in PIK residential complexes, but also in houses run by other management companies and HOAs. For example, in September 2025, the Leningrad UFAS fined the Regional 1 HOA for restricting the provider's access, said Anna Barabash, CEO of Enterprise Legal Solutions. It follows from the case file that the partnership offered the owners to conclude contracts with four providers and refuse the services of the fifth.
The Ministry of Finance regularly sends appeals from citizens and operators to the prosecutor's office related to problems of connecting residents of apartment buildings to the Internet, the press service of the department previously told Izvestia. The Ministry began involving law enforcement agencies in solving this problem last year. A total of 29 letters were sent.
Positive decisions have already been made on eight appeals, one of them came from an Internet provider, the Ministry of Finance clarified. So, in St. Petersburg, Rostelecom and Infotech gained access to apartment buildings. In addition, two management companies were issued orders, and one was cautioned for violating the rules of interaction between telecom operators and organizations that manage MCD. In the Voronezh Region, two management companies received warnings and representations for similar violations. In the Irkutsk region, the issue of the legality of the actions of the Criminal Code has been referred to the arbitration court, the Ministry of Finance reported.
— There are still cases when management companies do not allow alternative providers in apartment buildings. We manage to resolve some of them, but unfortunately not all of them. The number of cases of ineligibility is decreasing. But the problem is still far from being fully resolved," said Alexey Demyanenko, Director of Products and Tariffs for Rostelecom's mass segment.
Starting from April 2024, providers have the right to place networks in the MCD without a decision of the general meeting of owners, if they have a contract with at least one tenant, Anna Barabash recalled. Starting from August 6, 2026, fines from 10,000 to 40,000 rubles are provided for officials of management companies, HOAs and housing and communal services for obstructing access to telecom operators, and from 100,000 to 500,000 rubles for organizations. Every year, the FAS reviews about 150-200 complaints about the non-admission of telecom operators. Management companies and HOAs are often fined as a result of the proceedings, the expert noted.
In her opinion, the main reason why management companies continue to hinder providers is the financial benefit, which outweighs even the risk of a fine. Many developers and management companies cooperate with affiliated providers. This provides a stable income, often in conjunction with intercom, video surveillance and smart home services. Therefore, they do not need competitors, she explained.
However, management companies also have legitimate claims against telecom operators, noted Oleg Yablokov, NTI expert on wireless communications. According to him, installers smash walls and ceilings, but they do not always repair the damage. As a result, the tenants have to pay for repairs through the tariff for the maintenance of the house. The deputies proposed to impose fines for operators for such violations, but the corresponding amendment was not adopted, he recalled.
The rules of interaction between telecom operators and organizations that manage apartment buildings do not limit the number of providers that can work in one house, said Leonid Konik, a partner at ComNews Research.
— Formally, if 10, 20 or 50 operators want to connect to a house and each presents a contract with at least one of its residents, the management company is obliged to provide them with access. However, it is obvious that it is technically impossible to place the equipment of an infinite number of providers in one house. And the residents themselves are unlikely to be happy with thick bundles of dangling wires," he pointed out.
On the other hand, if there is only one provider in the house and there is no competition, Internet tariffs are likely to be overpriced, which is unprofitable for residents, said Denis Kuskov, CEO of TelecomDaily. In addition, in the event of a failure from such a local monopolist, users will be left without communication: they will not be able to connect to an alternative provider, the expert concluded.
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