The Russian Government has expanded the list of settlements where wireless high-speed internet access points should be installed. According to the Cabinet of Ministers, the list additionally includes about 160 villages, khutors, and hamlets in 17 municipal districts of Kursk Oblast.
Access points are installed using funds from the universal service reserve, which is formed from deductions of a portion of operators' revenue. The ability to provide such a service to settlements with a population of less than 100 people appeared after the amendments to the federal law "On Communications," adopted last year, came into force. It was the accumulation of reserves that allowed for the expansion of coverage.
Previously, operators did not enter small settlements due to economic inexpediency. Now, the universal service mechanism closes this gap, providing access to digital services for residents for whom a trip to the district center for public services was the only option. The decision for Kursk Oblast is a pilot entry that can be scaled to other regions.
Read more on the topic:
- Internet to Reach Remote Villages: Ministry of Digital Affairs Proposes Russians Choose Villages to Receive Mobile Communication
- Ministry of Digital Development Announces Voting on Connecting Villages to the Internet
- Mobile Internet in Russia to be Accelerated with AI: What Will Change for Subscribers