Internet services can force telecom operators to pay for the passage of “basic” traffic, Kommersant learned. At the same time, it is planned to remove Russian Rutube, VK and other services that are members of the ARI (registry of information dissemination organizers) from this strategy.
The authors of the “Strategy for the development of the communications industry in the Russian Federation for 2024-2035” propose to force Internet companies to enter into contracts with telecommunication operators on the passage of the “main traffic in the networks of communication”.
At the same time, the new requirements should not apply to domestic services. We are talking, in particular, about products belonging to Yandex, VK and Gazprom Media Holding.
But YouTube, which is owned by Google, may fall under the alleged regulation. Also, domestic online cinemas are not included in the ARI, they may also be required to pay for traffic.
As noted in the documents, the planned traffic volume will grow by at least 25% per year. In the consumer segment, growth is expected to come from 4K and 8K video streaming, augmented reality applications, and heavy media content.
Currently, Russian providers are already paying for the services of telecom operators, says CDNvideo CEO Yaroslav Gorodetsky. Payment is made directly or through commercial CDN operators.
In his opinion, this measure is probably aimed at obtaining funds from foreign companies.
Evgeny Rossinsky, director of technology for ivi online cinema, noted that such deductions constitute a significant expense. Because of this, the cost of site services may increase.
Aleksey Byrdin, CEO of the Internet Video Association, for his part, points out the danger of introducing such measures. The idea of getting royalties from Google doesn’t seem feasible, says Bardeen. At the same time, attempts to force other companies deploying their networks on the operators’ infrastructure to pay for traffic may contribute to the breakdown of cooperation.
“Then operators will stick with customers who complain about low access speeds,” Birdin warns.
Author:
Natalia Gormaleva
Source: RB
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