The Ministry of Digital Development announced a shortage of equipment for digitalization

MOSCOW, September 5 – PRIME. The Ministry of Digital Transformation of the Russian Federation asked to adjust the federal project “Information Infrastructure” of the national program “Digital Economy” due to a shortage of imported telecommunications equipment, the Kommersant newspaper reports, citing a letter from the department.

The publication got acquainted with the letter of the ministry to the ANO “Tsifrovaya ekonomika”, FGBU “Center for Expertise and Coordination of Informatization” (FGBU TsEKI) and the company “Rostelecom” dated August 19.

In a letter, the Ministry of Digital Development asked to reduce the number of remote sparsely populated areas (with a population of 100-500 people), which will have to be equipped with broadband Internet access by the end of the year. The current parameters of the national project assume that by the end of the year broadband Internet will be provided on an accrual basis to 24.6 thousand (an increase of 1.4 thousand year on year). However, the Ministry of Digital Development proposed to reduce the pace of program implementation this year by 800 settlements.

The publication notes that the ministry explained the need for such a reduction by the shortage of imported telecommunications equipment due to international sanctions, as well as the need to “search for analogues of equipment, including domestic production.” In the next two years, it was planned to catch up with the backlog in order to achieve the result indicated in the current plan by the end of 2024 – 26.9 thousand towns and villages.

The ministry clarified to the publication that adjustments to the indicators were discussed, but were not accepted. The current pace of providing villages with communications will be maintained through “sharing” (that is, joint use) of base stations, the ministry assured.

This decision was possible due to the fact that in July the government supported a bill that amends the law “On Communications”. They just assume the joint use by subscribers of different telecom operators of one base station in small towns. “At the same time, the search for reliable partners for building new cooperative production chains continues,” the ministry said.