OREANDA-NEWS. April 18, 2013. The Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS Russia) found that “Rostelecom” OJSC (“Dalny Vostok” OJSC macro-regional branch of “Rostelecom” OJSC, a legal successor of “Dalsvyaz” OJSC) violated the Federal Law “On Protection of Competition” (Clauses 1 and 6 Part 1 Article 10).

The case was initiated in 2010 upon a petition from citizens about high prices of “Dalsvyaz” OJSC for Internet access services in the constituent territories of the Russian Federation, included in the Far East Federal District, as well as big differentiation of the rates for Internet access services in populated localities in comparison with the rates for the same services in administrative centers of the constituent territories of the Russian Federation.

Investigating the case, “Rostelecom” OJSC undertook measures to decrease the rates for Internet access services in comparison with the rates fixed at the beginning of 2010. The average reduction of the prices for Internet access services under selected service plans was in:

- the Amur region – under limit service plans for the population – by 2.8 times; under unlimited service plans for the population – by 70.5%; under unlimited service plans for organizations – by 64.8%;

- the Kamchatka region – under limit service plans for the population – by 2.5 times; under combined service plans for organizations - by 29%;

- the Magadan region – under limit service plans for the population – by 1.5 times; under combined service plans for organizations - by 80.6%;

- the Primorie region - under limit service plans for the population – by 2.9 times; under unlimited service plans for the population – by 84.09%; under unlimited service plans for organizations – by 64.3%;

- the Sakhalin region - under limit service plans for the population – by 1.2 times; under unlimited service plans for the population – by 79.25%; under unlimited service plans for organizations – by 82.66%; under combined service plans for organizations - by 64.5%;

- the Khabarovsk region and the Jewish Autonomous region - under limit service plans for the population – by 37%; under unlimited service plans for the population - by 84,1%; under unlimited service plans for organizations – by 67.3%; under combined service plans for organizations - by 58.1%.

FAS established that “Rostelecom” OJSC maintained economically unreasonable price difference for Internet access services in populated localities in the constituent territories of the Russian Federation, included in the Far East Federal District, in comparison with the rates in administrative centers of the same constituent territories of the Russian Federation.

Having completed the investigation, FAS terminated the case in the part of fixing, maintaining high price (Clause 1 Part 1 Article 10 of the Federal Law “On Protection of Competition”) due to voluntary elimination of the violation.

As price discrimination for Internet access services maintained, FAS issued a determination towards liquidating price discrimination by reducing prices for Internet access services in populated localities in the constituent territories of the Russian Federation, included in the Far East Federal District, to the level of prices in administrative centers of the same constituent territories of the Russian Federation.

“The FAS decision and determination are aimed at the early decreasing digital inequality between the regions, and facilitate execution of the constitutional rights of the citizens of Russia. It will allow modern innovative services, regardless of remoteness of a region”, pointed out Deputy Head of FAS Anatoly Golomolzin.