PRESS: Russian min offers govt to control core Web infrastructure

MOSCOW, May 30 (PRIME) -- Russia’s communications ministry has worked out amendments to the laws on connection and information to equip the government with an exclusive right to manage all the domestic critically important Internet infrastructure, business daily Vedomosti reported Monday, citing a source close to the ministry.

Such infrastructure comprises national domains .ru and .ðô, traffic exchange points, connection networks and the state information system of sustainable connection.

At present, the national domains are managed by Coordination Center for TLD RU, which accredits registrars and sets the rules. Traffic exchange points are owned by various firms with the biggest being MSK-IX, which handles some 60% of the country’s traffic and is controlled by state telecom operator Rostelecom.

If the initiative is adopted, the Russian-speaking Internet, widely known as the Runet, will have a single management that is a federal authority appointed by the government. Such authority will sign contracts to manage the Runet and maintain functioning of the critical infrastructure.

The bill also offers to impose state control over all networks created by individuals and firms. All users of such networks with IP addresses will be obliged to get registered to provide authorities with information about themselves.

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