Media: a package of measures to support cellular companies in new regions of Russia has been prepared

MOSCOW, Feb 16 – PRIME. A package of measures has been prepared to support cellular companies operating in the DPR, LPR, Zaporozhye and Kherson regions, the Izvestia newspaper writes , citing federal sources of power. 

Earlier, Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Dmitry Chernyshenko told RIA Novosti that the Russian government is working on the restoration and development of communication networks in new regions, within the framework of this program, the Ministry of Digital Development of the Russian Federation was instructed to build more than 1.5 thousand cellular base stations by March 2024.

“The Russian authorities have prepared a package of administrative support measures for cellular companies operating in the liberated territories – in the LPR, DPR, Zaporozhye and Kherson regions. A high-ranking federal official told Izvestiya about this. According to him, we are talking about simplifying procedures associated with entering operation of mobile communication networks,” the newspaper reports.

According to Izvestia, on average in Russia it costs about 100 thousand rubles, but operators in the DPR, LPR and other new regions will be able to receive it for free.

The interlocutor of the newspaper claims that “the numbering capacity in the Russian code +7 will also be free: now operators pay 50 rubles for allocating a number.” According to him, companies in the new territories will be able to use non-certified equipment and start working even before the supervisory authorities issue all permits for its operation.

It is clarified that permits for the operation of networks are issued by Roskomnadzor. Izvestia sent a request to the department, as well as to the Ministry of Digital Development of the Russian Federation. The ministry confirmed to the publication that such measures were prepared.

“Obtaining approval, in particular passing the electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) examination, and radio frequency permits really takes about six months. The EMC examination procedure also accounts for most of the administrative costs, he argues. Although these costs are relatively small compared to the cost of network equipment and the cost of its deployment,” adds the interlocutor of Izvestia.

At the end of December last year, the Ministry of Digital Development of the Russian Federation reported that the MirTelecom and +7Telecom operators would continue to operate in the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions, the Republican Telecom Operator (Phoenix brand) was operating in the DPR, and Mobile Communications Systems in the LPR (brand “Lugakom”).