Import substitution is on the Net: VKontakte is preparing to replace YouTube

The VKontakte social network has begun to negotiate with major operators to install caching servers on their networks designed to speed up users' downloading of video materials, Forbes reports, citing its sources in telecommunications companies. Moreover, VK itself also confirmed this information to the publication. This, according to experts, will allow the company to create its own CDN (content delivery network) in order to be ready for a sharp increase in traffic when the YouTube service is turned off in the Russian network. Meanwhile, VK itself says that the construction of CDN means the growing popularity of this company's services, claiming that VKontakte traffic has at least doubled in 2022.

The interlocutors of the publication say: "If there is a task to create an alternative to foreign services (meaning mainly YouTube), then only one service can compete — this is VK." In addition, VK intends to increase video traffic by attracting the most popular bloggers from YouTube, with whom the company has already begun to conclude contracts.