Min: List of important sites with free access has 370 resources

MOSCOW, Apr 2 (PRIME) -- Russia’s list of socially important websites and services with free access comprises 370 resources and services, mainly domestic ones, in 18 categories under the pilot project, Digital Development Minister Maksut Shadayev said at a meeting with President Vladimir Putin late Wednesday.

“The main criterion for inclusion of these or those sites and resources in the list is their popularity among our citizens. We took all open data of attendance of sites, popularity of these or those services and made the list that now counts 370 sites in 18 categories,” Shadayev said.

The daily audience of the chosen resources exceeds 50 million people.

“The list included popular Russian social networks and communities by interests, an e-mail service, messengers, news sites and online video resources. It also included popular information resources in education, medicine, culture, sports, and science. And popular sites of state authorities and state services were certainly included,” the minister said.

The biggest online stores, aggregators, and delivery services, digital banking and financial services, as well as recruiting and carrier development services are also on the list.

Shadayev said the list has everything necessary for a comfort stay at home and for work, adding that it will be replenished.

“Our five largest connection operators, which cover today 70% of households, supported the initiative not to disconnect in the pilot regime those who cannot pay for the home Internet due to some reasons and keep their access to the Internet within the list of socially important websites (from Wednesday),” Shadayev said.

The pilot launched on Wednesday is scheduled to end on July 1.

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