Guest Wi-Fi with Legal User Identification: How to Avoid Fines

You have given your visitors free Wi-Fi — in a cafe, shopping mall, hotel or clinic — and you consider the matter closed. In practice, an open access point without user identification is a direct violation, and what it brings is an inspection from Roskomnadzor (the Russian communications regulator), not gratitude from your guests. The mere fact of an unprotected network is enough: the inspector does not need to prove anyone’s malicious intent.

The situation is typical. The owner of an establishment sees Wi-Fi as a pleasant amenity for guests and has no idea that the law treats them as a telecommunications service operator, with all the resulting obligations. And they usually learn this from the official report.

What the Law Requires for Guest Wi-Fi with Identification

Public internet access is governed by Russian Government Decrees No. 758 and No. 801. The owner of the access point and the telecom operator are required to establish the identity of everyone who goes online and to store this information. The law does not permit anonymous internet access through a public network.

The key obligations come down to three points:

• — identify the user before they gain internet access;
• — store information about the user and their sessions, linked to the device and the connection time;
• — ensure this data is stored within the territory of the Russian Federation.

Liability arises under the Code of Administrative Offenses. For legal entities, the fine reaches 200,000 RUB, and it is issued for the mere fact of an open network without identification — regardless of whether any actual harm was caused. At a repeat inspection the story repeats, because they can fine you again.

What Identification Methods Exist

The law does not dictate a single method — what matters is the result, namely an established identity. In practice several approaches are used, each with its own cost and reliability:

• — SMS with a one-time code to a phone number — the most familiar, but paid for each message;
• — flash-call, where a short drop-call is placed and the last digits of the incoming number serve as the code — cheaper than SMS;
• — login via Gosuslugi (ESIA, the Russian unified government identity system) — identity confirmed by the state;
• — bank IDs, for example Sber ID;
• — biometrics.

A common mistake is to buy a boxed solution rigidly tied to a single SMS operator. When that operator has an outage, raises its per-message price or simply changes its terms, identification stops — and with it guest access to the network. People cannot log in and leave irritated. A second widespread risk is cheap services that move user data outside the Russian Federation. That is a separate violation of data localization requirements, on top of the main one.

How Atlas Wi-Fi Solves the Problem

Atlas Wi-Fi is an identification platform that is installed on top of your current equipment, not in place of it. It is compatible with MikroTik, Ubiquiti, Cisco and Zyxel — there is no need to buy new access points or rebuild your network. You can deploy the authorization page on the hardware already mounted on your walls.

What matters for legal compliance:

• — support for all login methods: SMS, flash-call, Gosuslugi, Sber ID and biometrics — you can choose the one that suits your budget and audience;
• — user data and session logs are stored within the Russian Federation;
• — no lock-in to a single SMS operator — if one channel is unavailable or becomes expensive, login goes through another, and authorization does not stop.

Atlas Wi-Fi took 3rd place in the CNews 2025 ranking and remains the only solution on the market with support for biometric identification. The practical point is that the regulator’s requirements are met properly and for the long term, not with a workaround thrown together in a hurry for a specific inspection.

Checklist: Review Your Guest Network

• — Is there an identification page at the entry, or is the network open without authorization?
• — By what method is the user’s identity established, and is there a backup channel in case of an outage?
• — Is data about users and sessions stored on servers in the Russian Federation?
• — Are the logs linked to a specific device, number and connection time?
• — Are you ready to present this data at Roskomnadzor’s request within the allotted period?

If the answer to even one point is “no”, the network is at risk, and a fine is a matter of time, not luck. Atlas Wi-Fi meets the requirements of Decrees No. 758 and No. 801 on your equipment, without replacing hardware and without moving data abroad. Leave a request and we will show you how to set up identification for your site: Connect Atlas Wi-Fi →