PRESS: Govt eases data storage requirements to prop up telcos

MOSCOW, May 20 (PRIME) -- The Russian government has approved regulatory measures to support the telecommunications industry, put forward by the Digital Development Ministry, including some easing of the information storage requirements under the pricey data retention law, business daily Vedomosti reported on Wednesday, quoting several sources.

The measures also include remote identification of subscribers via the Unified Biometric System to sign contracts with the operators and simplification of the procedure of radio electronic equipment imports, the daily said.

The data retention law obliges connection operators and Internet companies to store information on content of talks and correspondence of users with an annual rise of storage capacities by 15% during five years. MTS estimates its expenses on fulfilment of the law at 50 billion rubles for five years, and VimpelCom saw its costs at 45 billion rubles, MegaFon at 40 billion rubles.

But First Deputy Prime Minister Andrei Belousov rejected such proposals as a delay of taxes on employees’ income, rent grace periods, and three-time lower fees for the radio frequency spectrum till the end of 2020.

 (72.3918 rubles – U.S. $1)

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