The Federal Tariff Service has proposed freeing state-controlled Rostelecom from tariff regulation on all forms of telephone service in a number of cities and regions including Moscow and St. Petersburg, Digit.ru reported Thursday, citing a draft of a departmental order.
Tariffs on local connections, calls between zones and calls between cities are all to be deregulated, although the areas selected vary according to the service.
The list of cities and regions was settled on by the Federal Anti-Monopoly Service, the Federal Tariff Service, the Economic Development Ministry and the Communications and Press Ministry.
As a natural monopoly, Rostelecom will still be legally obliged to present information on its business activities and tariffs to the government on a quarterly basis.
