Top telecom

2009-2010: Obtaining license

Filed documents on operation of own node Toptelekom to Roskomnadzor in October, 2009, and was refused in December of the same year. According to Holin, the company even when obtaining such license specified that clients will be connected to its network on the VPN channel through a public service network. Then, as the president approves Toptelekom, state examination approved the project and the company could obtain the license and also a number resource for 20 thousand numbers in code 499.

Initially the company intended to provide these services in the VPN channel. According to requirements of the license for rendering services of local telephone communication, the subscriber line should be selected to the client in permanent use. What this line is, in requirements of the license it is not specified, however Roskomnadzor refused to issue Toptelekom the permission to operate of own communication hub on the ground that the company violates this requirement of the license.

In January, 2010 Holin sent the letter addressed to the head of Roskomnadzor Sergey Sitnikov in whom he called failure of department unreasonable. Repeated failure of Roskomnadzor on the same basis, as for the first time became result of it. After that the president Toptelekom received the decision of two independent experts who did not detect violation in the scheme according to which the company intended to connect subscribers. In March, 2010 Holin sent the letter to Naum Marder, the Deputy Minister of Telecom and Mass Communications, having attached to it expert opinions, with a request to influence the decision of Roskomnadzor.

Marder Holinu's answer contained a reminder that the operator has no own local network providing direct coupling of subscribers from the automatic telephone exchange put into operation. Finalizing the letter, Marder noted that control and supervision of observance of design requirements and operation of networks of telecommunication lies on Roskomnadzor, and the Ministry of Telecom and Mass Communications has no right to instruct the last on issue of this sort of permissions.

As it became known in August, 2010 the Toptelekom company was forced to sign the agency agreement with the third-party operator to get access to its local networks and to have an opportunity to render services of local telephone communication which include providing to subscribers at the same time direct landline numbers and roamable VoIP, the president of the company Alexey Holin reported CNews.

Permission of Roskomnadzor to operation of the communication hub appeared at the company only after it signed the agency agreement with the operator and got access to a physical, but not virtual channel of communication. "As a result we had to go an alternate path which leads to rise in price of service and deterioration in its quality, having signed the agency agreement with the operator. The new scheme of connection of subscribers contradicts both the concept of NGN, and common sense", - Holin says.

The president Toptelekom explained that now for installation of own numbers the company should bring to the subscriber the Internet of 128 Kbps from the partner operator in addition to the high-speed Internet which the subscriber already has. However, according to Holin, this channel is carried out only to observe formality: as a result clients refuse to pay the second Internet and receive services of the operator in the main channel.

"Current situation with implementation of new technologies in local telephone communication is unique, - the president Toptelekom is indignant. – She reminds Stalin times when the cybernetics was announced by pseudoscience and is prohibited".