ANATOLY GOLOMOLZIN DISCUSSED PRIORITY TASKS IN TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND IT TECHNOLOGIES

He reminded about the Strategy for developing information society in Russia, according to which developing informational and telecommunications infrastructure is one of the key conditions for pursuing the principles of building up an information society

Deputy Head of FAS clarified that these tasks are also specified in the National Plan for Developing Competition in Russia in 2018-2020 and the Road Maps for developing competition on the markets of telecommunications and information technologies.

“FAS practice shows that considerable adjustments are necessary in the work of the antimonopoly bodies and in regulations”, informed Anatoly Golomolzin at “Telecom 2019” Conference of the Vedomosti newspaper.

Deputy Head of FAS pointed out that recently investigation of antimonopoly violations has undergone significant changes.

“The violators are increasingly more often digital giants. The latest cases against “Google” and “Microsoft” show that we have to deal with the companies that are the face of the world economy. What forms economic power? Particularly, big data, concentration of intellectual property rights, and organizing work on the basis of digital platforms on the global market, which shapes market power and work conditions in the modern economy”, explained Anatoly Golomolzin.

He emphasized that the National Plan requires improvements in the antimonopoly law.

“We are now discussing the fifth antimonopoly package that set several directions for improving the antimonopoly law. Relevant Road Maps for competition development are adopted to fulfill the National Plan; they also highlight the need to made several decisions, including competition support on national as well as regional and local markets”.

“It concerns, in particular, solving the roaming issues, our people should be able to move around across regions of Russia in the open telecommunications space without any inconvenience. It is also necessary to improve inter-operator cooperation and regulation of the procedure for operator access to apartment blocks – the relevant documents are under discussion”.

Anatoly Golomolzin stated that roaming payment for the subscribers reduced from 2.5 to 10 times and more for all communications services, particular, the Internet access services.

“As a result, everybody wins, as it should be in a competitive economy, when absolutely everyone benefits from comprehensive measures and systemic solutions. As a result we observe a growing number of subscribers who use communications services travelling to other regions of Russia, and an increasing traffic and revenue of the operators, against possible savings for the subscribers so common benefits are obvious”, summed up the speaker.

He added that a new law comes into effect in summer 2019 formalizing the provision legislatively.

Then Anatoly Golomolzin talked about the need to improve regulation, strengthen systemic approaches on the principles of technological and network neutrality and possibility for all operators to be involved in service rendering.

“We should move from collective service provision to individual services. Technologies and consumer needs do exist. We should do that all citizens of Russia get access to modern universal services – telephony and the Internet, in the same volume and under the same conditions throughout the entire territory of Russia”,  concluded Deputy Head of FAS.

Regarding development of 5G services, he emphasized that the main goal of the antimonopoly bodies is to preserve and maintain competition on the market.

“It is important that competitive conditions are maintained. Creating infrastructure in this field has always been accompanied by supporting competitive conditions. We cannot make any decisions designed for participation of a single operator, when there is a possibility to involve the entire telecommunications community and a relevant experience in 2G, in 3G, in 4G, and we do not have the grounds to rejects these achievements”, said Anatoly Golomolzin.

Deputy Head of FAS specially discussed changes in the access of communications providers to apartment blocks.

“The issue could not be resolved under the conditions of the emerging information society within five years, and now we finally are discussing a relevant draft law”, informedAnatoly Golomolzin.

“People should get a possibility to order communications services from form an operator that they choose. If they are oriented only towards communications operators, offered by a managing company, then they typically pay 2,3,4 times more ort do not receive services of the required quality. Subscribers should not pay twice for the same operations in the housing-and-utility services; access to apartment blocks for communications providers should be free-of-charge”.

“The relevant conditions must be regulated, we are drafting a law together with the Federation Council, and expect that in the near future it will be done”, confirmed the speaker.

Finally, Anatoly Golomolzin touched a possibility for consumers to preinstall applications and remove them.

“This is the key conditions for competitiveness of Russian companies on the domestic market under non-discriminatory conditions with the world giants, preserving an opportunity for them to compete on the world markets”, summed up Anatoly Golomolzin.

Deputy Head of FAS pointed out that FAS measures are strategically important for developing the modern society.