PRESS: Russian min prepares draft to control local Internet fully

MOSCOW, Aug 19 (PRIME) -- Russia’s communications ministry has worked out draft amendments to the connection law to ensure integrity, faultlessness and stability of local Internet, and the measures were discussed at a meeting on Thursday, business daily Vedomosti reported Friday.

A person familiar with the matter said the meeting was held by Deputy Communications Minister Alexei Sokolov and attended by presidential aide for the Internet German Klimenko and managers of state-controlled telecom operator Rostelecom.

The amendments introduce such a notion as critical Internet infrastructure, which includes a national domain zone, equipment for its servicing, a system of Internet exchange points and a so-called state information system providing integrity, sustainability and security of the Internet work.

The ministry offers to see only domestic companies as legal owners of Internet exchange points. One of the sources said that the authority admits that foreigners could own these points in the future, but with a 20% limit, like with restrictions in mass media.

The national domain zone must be administrated by a local firm set up by the ministry, as it said. The firm could be financed from a universal service fund, to which all operators contribute 1.2% of their revenue.

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