On October 18, Rostelecom posted on the public procurement website an order for the development of the communicator service, which provides voice communications via the Internet.

The order describes a service that will provide users with a “local telephone service”, as well as “an additional opportunity to carry out outgoing and accept incoming calls using a software application”. For the "communicator" you need to develop a desktop application, as well as Epp for iOS and Android. In addition to voice communication, reports Vedomosti , the service should have text messages, a list of contacts and the ability to attach a home number.

In terms of reference, it is noted that the “communicator” should support the installation of “technical means of SORM” for conducting operational-search measures by law enforcement agencies. The amount of the contract is 72.8 million rubles. The launch of the service, as told Vedomosti in Rostelecom, is planned for the first half of 2015.

Earlier, deputies of the State Duma of the Russian Federation were going to consider the legality of the work of partners of VOIP services (for example, Skype and Viber) who conduct calls through non-existent Russian numbers. This, in their opinion, creates a danger of a “socio-economic nature”, as well as “a threat to the life of citizens and the security of society”. The “communicator”, according to the idea of Rostelecom, must fully comply with the requirements of Russian legislation.

Rostelecom is going to create a competitor Skype