Mobile operators are going to clarify the legal status of IP-telephony in Russia

An interesting conclusion was made by the participants of the round table “Modern Approaches to Regulating the Market for Alternative Voice Communication Services in Russia and the World,” which was held yesterday at the Federation Council. The meeting was opened by the chairman of the subcommittee for communications of the commission on natural monopolies of the Federation Council, Vyacheslav Novikov. The official said that Skype users in Russia are not legally protected, since Skype does not have Russian licenses and contracts with subscribers. According to Novikov, as a result, subscribers from Russia cannot demand from Skype the quality of services corresponding to the promised standards. Excellent wording, which seems to be designed to protect unfortunate Skype users in Russia, is not it?

Over the past few years, mobile operators in Russia have repeatedly complained about Skype for various reasons. But this time, representatives of the largest mobile operators decided to consider the legal status of IP telephony in Russia as such. The roundtable participants came to the conclusion that the domestic user is not protected, since other IP-telephony operators are usually registered abroad, and as a result do not comply with the standards and regulations of domestic legislation. Who suffers as a result? According to mobile operators, the Russian user suffers.
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Moreover, the director of product development and services of Mobile TeleSystems OJSC (MTSS) / MTS / Pavel Roitberg argues that IP telephony operators are parasites on the body of ordinary telecom operators. Why? Yes, because IP telephony uses normal communication channels, for which Skype and similar organizations do not pay, because they do not invest money in the construction and operation of such networks.

Domestic companies are experiencing that they may receive a very substantial portion of their income, which is measured in billions of rubles. As a result, domestic communication channels will not be modernized, and the quality of communication services will constantly decline. The same Roitberg and his colleagues asked the government to find out the status of IP-telephony operators in our country, and if there is no legal regulation of their activities (of course, not), to develop the necessary laws.

In general, the participants of the round table issued a general verdict - it is impossible to prohibit new technologies, but you need to adapt them to the domestic legislation. How this “adaptation” can end, we all have a certain idea ...

Via prime-tass