According to Google Trends data, the number of search queries related to walkie-talkies and wired internet has significantly increased. The peak of these queries occurred on March 10, when Muscovites began to complain en masse about mobile connectivity issues. Interest in wired internet also became relevant on that day, while similar queries had not been recorded in the previous week.
An increase in interest in walkie-talkies, pagers, and landline phones was also noted on the Wildberries platform. From March 6 to 10, the demand for household radios rose by 27% compared to the same dates in February, while pager sales increased by 73%, and landline phone sales grew by 25%.
However, it is worth noting that Moscow has lacked a paging infrastructure for several years, making the use of such communication tools impossible.
The "Chitai-Gorod" bookstore chain also reported a 48% increase in sales of paper maps, including atlases and guides, during the period from March 6 to 10 compared to the previous week. The highest demand was for road maps of Moscow and the surrounding region.
There is also a growing interest in MP3 players. The publication Baza links this to the introduction of amendments on March 1 that prohibit drug propaganda. As a result, edited versions of works have appeared on streaming platforms, and some songs and albums have been removed. Experts believe that the rising popularity of MP3 players is related not only to the new restrictions but also to the shutdowns of mobile internet, making access to streaming services impossible.
