Internet Providers, Internet Cafes, and Cable TV in Moscow

Contents: Dial-up Internet - High-Speed (Broadband) Internet - Wi-Fi wireless Internet Hotspots - Internet Cafes - Cable TV.

Dial-Up Internet
If you want to use the dialup internet, the easiest way to do it (if you have a computer and a modem) is to buy an internet card from one of the many Moscow providers. You can buy the card (which has all access numbers listed) at any telecom store. Usually the cards are for $5, $10, $20, $50, you should login (as a guest) on the server of the provider and type in the serial number and the code of your card, and after that you can start using the internet.
Some good dialup internet providers are: MTU (http://dialup.mtu.ru/), you can buy their internet card (sold almost everywhere, a card for $5, $10 or $50), one hour costs from $0.3 to $1. Russia-on-Line (http://www.online.ru/) is also one of the biggest providers and you can buy their card everywhere, they also provide access numbers in most Russian cities (1 hour $0.9).


High-Speed Internet
High-speed internet connection in Moscow is provided by local area networks (LAN), ADSL (Broadband), or cable TV. LAN's prices are often OK, but their service is not so good and the connection may sometimes go off. However, when it works, it is the fastest option (speed ~ 1Mb/sec). ADSL (Broadband) is provided by a few companies, such as MTU-Intel, Comstar (tel. (095) 956-0000), Combellga (tel. (095) 931-9950). The latter two offer good packages for businesses, however, if you just want high speed internet in your flat, the new Stream.Ru (tel.: (095) 105-5545) service is the best choice. They offer 1GB for $30 / month, the connection speed is up to 1024 Kbit / sec, the setup costs wouldn't be more than $100 (including equipment), and there's no long-term commitments and you can pay your bills through the bank. Broadband installation usually takes 2 weeks.
Some cable TV providers offer internet in addition to their TV packages. Comcor-TV (tel.: (095) 231-3333) offers two options: $33 / month unlimited traffic at 256/128 kbit speed or $15 / month 200 Mb traffic at 64/64 speed (like IDSN). Kosmos-TV (tel. (095) 730-0000) also has an internet package. Installation may take from 1 day to 1 week, depending on whether you have the provider in your area already.
All the above listed providers except Stream.Ru are guaranteed to have English-speaking operators.


Wi-Fi (wireless internet) access points - wifi hotspots - in Moscow:

Wireless internet access points, also known as "hotspots", allow users with their own computers access the internet at high speed without a wire. All you need is a special wireless internet adaptor card (already installed on Apple Powerbook computers (airport) or PCs with Intel Centrino technology, otherwise available at any computer shop for about $70-$100).
Wireless internet connection costs about $10 per hour in Moscow. It can be purchased online on the spot or at the counter (special pre-paid cards). Some internet hotspots in Moscow are free.

Free WiFi Internet Access Points in Moscow:

American Bar & Grill: American-style restaurant chain, average bill: $20 per person.
1st Tverskaya-Yamskaya, #1 (metro Mayakovskaya), Opened 24 hours. And Zemlyanoy Val, #59 (metro Kurskaya, Taganskaya), Opened 12.00-2.00 (until 5.00 on sunday). Provider: Yandex, Price: Free

Santa Fe Restaurants: Mexican cuisine.
Mitulinskaya st., #5/1, bld 6 (metro Ulitsa 1905 Goda). Opened 12.00-24.00, and until 3.00am on thursday, friday, saturday. Provider: Yandex, Price: Free

TGI Friday's: A typical American restaurant famous for its cocktails. Lunchs for $10.
Tverskaya #18/2 (next to Kodak Cinema, metro Pushkinskaya or Tverskaya - center), Leninsky prospekt #1/2, 1 (metro Oktyabrskaya - center), Zemlyanoy Val, #33, Garibaldi, #23 (metro Novye Cheremushki - south Moscow). Opened 12.00 to 24.00 daily. Provider: Yandex, Price: Free

Il Patio Restaurants: a chain of Italian restaurants in Moscow. (#1 - metro Kropotkinskaya, Volkhonka st., #13a - near Christ the Saviour church, #2 - metro Smolenskaya, Smolenskaya street, #3). Provider: Yandex, Price: Free

Starina Myuller Restaurant: Beer restaurant.
Shmitovsky proezd, #2 / 1 (metro Ulitsa 1905 Goda). Provider: Yandex, Price: Free

Grand Imperial Restaurant: Russian cuisine, average bill: $30 per person. metro Kropotkinskaya, Gagarinsky pereulok, 9/5, opened 12.00 till the last visitor. Provider: Yandex, Price: Free

Boarhouse: A popular hang-out for expats. Zemlyanoy Val, 26A (opposite metro Kurskaya). Provider: EWi-Fi.Net, Price: Free


Wireless Internet at Moscow Airports.

TGI Friday's restaurant at Shermetyevo 2 airport (2nd floor, departures hall), Opened 24 hours. Provider: Tascom, Price: $10 / hour

Domodedovo airport (international departures hall, 2nd floor, VIP hall), opened 24 hours. Provider: Tascom, Price: $10 / hour


Wireless Internet at Moscow Hotels.

Mariott Hotels (the access is purchased at the reservation desk, access available in all Mariott hotels, reception, lobby, rooms). Provider: Moscom


Wireless Internet at Moscow Cafes.

Coffee Shops Coffemania (trendy coffee-shops chain). Provider: Moscom Price: $10 / hour, $70 for 300Mb or $110 for 1.5Gb
1. Rozhdestvenka street, building 6/9/20
2. Bolshaya Nikitskaya street, building 13/6
3. Kudrinskaya Plozhad', building 46/54.

Starlite Diner (American-style cafes and restaurants). Provider: Moscom Price: $10 / hour, $70 for 300Mb or $110 for 1.5Gb
1. m. Mayakovskaya, Bolshaya Sadovaya, 16;
2. m. Dobryninskaya, Koroviy Val, 9;

Delifrance Cafe: Mayakovskaya Metro, conservatory. Provider: EWi-Fi.Net
Price: from $10 / hour

Shokoladnitsa coffee chain (metro Barrikadnaya, Bolshaya Gruzinskaya st., 2/12, opened 24 hours. Provider: Tascom, Price: $10 / hour

Metropolis (Cafe): Sadovaya Triumfalnaya 4-10. Provider: EWi-Fi.Net Price: from $10 / hour

Wireless Internet at Moscow Restaurants.

Scandinavia Restaurant (an upscale and expensive restaurant). Provider: Moscom, Price: $10 / hour, $70 for 300Mb or $110 for 1.5Gb.
Palashevsky per, #7. (metro Tverskaya)

La Gateau (a French restaurant)
Tverskaya St., #27 (metro Tverskaya, Pushkinskaya)

Restaurant SNOBBS, 1rst Obydenskiy pereulok, building 3, 4th floor. (this restaurant is for stuck-up snobbish creatures, so use it only in emergencies or if you are a snob yourself :). Provider: Moscom, Price: $10 / hour, $70 for 300Mb or $110 for 1.5Gb

Bakhus: Malaya Bronnaya St, 20A (metro Mayakovskaya or Pushkinskaya). Provider: EWi-Fi.Net Price: from $10 / hour

Etazh:Tverskaya Street 14 (metro Tverskaya). Provider: EWi-Fi.Net Price: from $10 / hour

Hard Rock Cafe: Stary Arbat 44 (metro Smolenskaya). Provider: EWi-Fi.Net Price: from $10 / hour

Junka - (Chinese restaurant): Tversckoy Bulvar 22, Theatre "MHAT Gorkogo" (metro Pushkinskaya, Tverskaya). Provider: EWi-Fi.Net Price: from $10 / hour

La Cantina: Tverskaya Street 5/6 (metro Okhotny Ryad). Provider: EWi-Fi.Net Price: from $10 / hour

Silvers (Irish Bar): Bolshoy Nikitisky Per. Provider: EWi-Fi.Net

Trivia Taverna: Spiridonovka Per. Provider: EWi-Fi.Net

Smolensky Passage Trading Center (metro Smolenskaya) locations at Pizza Express restaurant, opened mon-fri 8.30-23.00, sat-sun 11.00-23.00. Provider: Tascom, Price: $10 / hour

Restaurant Maner at Berlin House: metro Teatralnaya, Kuznetsky Most, Petrovka st., #5, first floor. Provider: Tascom, Price: $10 / hour



Internet Cafes in Moscow
Here's a list of the internet cafes in Moscow, listed by area. An hour costs from $1.7 up to $2.5.

AREA: TVERSKAYA (Center)

TIME ONLINE INTERNET CAFE - There are 200 computers, it's located right in the city center, next to the Kremlin & Red Square. The internet cafe is opened 24 hours a day. It's possible to copy data to the disks, cdroms, zip drives, print out your things, scan pictures, take a photograph on digital camera, copy from a flash memory card to the web or cd rom. There's a cafe that sells coffee and healthy snacks. English speaking staff.
One hour of internet access costs $2, special overnight rates are available.
Credit cards are accepted.
Address: "Manezh trade center" - Manezhnaya ploshchad. Phone: (095) 363-0060. Internet: http://www.timeonline.ru Area: Tverskaya, metro Okhotny Ryad (red line), just outside the exit in Manezh underground shopping mall, ground floor. Open: 24 hour a day

NETCITY. A very good chain of internet cafes, with good music and moderately priced coffee and desserts. The connection is quite fast as well, and there are LCD monitors. One hour costs $2. The only drawback is that it's not opened 24 hours.
Address: 1st outlet: Kamergersky pereulok (metro Okhotny Ryad, Teatralnaya), 2nd outlet: Paveletskaya square (outside of Paveletskaya metro station, on Garden Ring, next to Paveletsky railway station - where the trains to Domodedovo depart).


IMAGE RU INTERNET CAFE. The second floor of a computer shop, there are 67 computers and a small cafe. People: students and foreigners. An hour - 40 roubles ($1.3).
Address: Novoslobodskaya (Новослободская) #16, Area: Tverskaya, metro Mendeleevskaya (grey), just behind the metro exit. Open: daily 9.00-23.00.

AREA: ZAMOSKVORECHIE (South Center)

CAFEMAX INTERNET CAFE - There are 300 computers, services (printouts, scanners, digital cameras, video cameras, CD-R and diskettes recording etc.), a conference hall, a game zone, and even a coffeshop with fair prices (ice cream - $0.5, juice - $0.8, coffee, tea for $1.5).
The internet access is from $1 to $3 per hour, depending on the time of the day and demand.
Address: #25, Pyatnitskaya ulitsa, Phone: (095) 950-6050, Internet: http://www.cafemax.ru/ Area: Zamoskvorechie, metro Novokuznetskaya (green line). Open: 24 hours a day

AREA: KUZNETSKI MOST (Center)

KUZNETSKI MOST, 12 INTERNET CAFE - 35 computers side by side and a bar, but don't eat there, better buy something in the nearby vegetarian cafe. The decoration is nothing special, but it's nice to look up at the mirror ceiling.
An hour is for 60 roubles ($2). Oh, they also have a scanner there, so you can send the photos you made.
Address: Kuznetskiy most #12, Phone: (095) 924-2140, Area: Kuznetskiy most, metro Kuznetski Most (violet). Open: daily 10.00-0.00.

AREA: KITAI GOROD (south-east center)

THE BRITISH COUNCIL MOSCOW INTERNET ACCESS. This internet cafe is located in British Council library in Moscow. It's like a bite of Europe in Moscow - even the smell seems to be imported. There are always many people in this library, mostly students studying English language and reading The Financial Times.
There are just 4 computers and usualy they are occupied, so you have to wait. You can surf the British part of the internet for free, otherwise you have to pay 30 roubles ($1) for one hour. Printouts for 2 roubles, and recording on a floppy is 20 roubles (they use only their own discs).
Address: Nikoloyamskaya ulitsa #1. The Foreign Literature Library, left wing, first floor, tel. (095) 234-0201. Area: Taganka, metro Taganskaya (Таганская) (brown circle line).

Cable TV Providers in Moscow

There are four major cable and satellite TV operators in Moscow. All offer a standard package of international channels (such as CNN, Euronews, Discovery, Eurosport, MTV), as well as local channels. Some providers offer films upon demand, and all have a feature that allows to watch TV either in original language or in Russian.
Usually there's no long-term contracts and you can pay your bills through a bank.

Below is a list of Moscow cable TV operators and their offers.

Comcor-TV (antenna, not all areas are covered yet)
Internet: http://www.comcor-tv.ru
Telephone: (095) 231-3333
Offers: 17 foreign channels for $13,4 / month, 10 channels for $9.1 / month, additionally internet packages for $33 / month (unlimited 256/128) or $15 / month (200Mb, 64/64) can be purchased. Installation fees vary from $20 to $50. They speak English.

Kosmos-TV (through antenna pointed towards Ostankino TV tower, good coverage)
Internet: http://www.kosmos-tv.ru/
Telephone: (095) 730-0000
Offers: 23 foreign channels for $20 / month, installation fees start at $100. They speak English.

Divo TV (through a standard TV cable, simple installation, cheap equipemtn, but not all areas in Moscow are covered yet)
Internet: http://www.divotv.ru
Telephone: (095) 787-0000
Offers: Installation fees are from $79 to $129, 21 channel package costs $10 / month, 32 channel package costs $18 / month. Film-on-demand feature is $2 one-time fee.

NTV Plus (satellite dish, available in the whole Russia)
Internet:http://www.ntvplus.ru/calculator
Telephone: (095) 755-5545
Offers: 40 channels (including Russian ones) for 19$ / month

(This cable TV market digest is Contributed by Pavel Rassadkin)