The expert predicted problems with communication in the regions due to licensing reform

Initiatives to tighten requirements for telecom operators may lead to the withdrawal of regional providers from the market, which threatens the loss of Internet and television in small towns. Oleg Grishchenko, president of the Rosteleset association, warned about this on June 25 in an interview with Izvestia.

Everything is at home: new buildings will be rented with ready-made Internet networks

How will this measure affect users and will it help to avoid the monopoly of one provider?

The main danger of the reform lies in the risk of disconnecting remote territories from communication, the expert emphasized. If there is competition in large cities, then in small and remote settlements the infrastructure is based solely on the enthusiasm of local operators who ensure a minimum level of comfortable living and uninterrupted operation of social and commercial organizations.

The proposed innovations, according to the source, will create an unbearable financial burden on small businesses. And federal players will not be able to replace local companies, since servicing a small number of subscribers in such locations is economically impractical.

The head of Rosteleseti clarified that at the moment only a preliminary version of the changes to the licensing rules is being considered. The industry community hopes that the arguments voiced will be heard by the Ministry of Finance and taken into account in the final reform of the industry in order to prevent collapse in the regions and preserve the business, which is currently experiencing the greatest difficulties.

Read more in the Izvestia article:

Digital blockade of peripherals: what is the threat of communications licensing reform to small settlements