We generally recommend that our clients use BIS and a foreign SIM card in Russia. Our legal advisers said that by using BES people would be in violation of Russian law, although we haven't heard of anyone being stopped in the last few years.
One of my colleagues was fined in 1999, just for using a foreign mobile phone, not even a Blackberry; since then the laws have allowed foreign mobile phones but there is considerable ambiguity concerning the regulation (and consequent enforcement) regarding data services.
If anyone has some clarification on this topic that would be great to share this information.
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