Moscow City Hall is trying to hide the wires

Moscow authorities have not abandoned their idea to force Internet providers to hide wires stretched over the air underground. Now we are talking about cables hanging along Entuziastov Highway and Shchelkovskoye Highway. The cost of the work is estimated at 110 million rubles. per company. Operators are afraid that part of the amount will have to be paid to them.

The prefect of the Eastern Administrative District (EAD) Yuri Zakharov sent a letter to the heads of a number of administrations in early June (Kommersant has a copy) in which he requests an inventory of cable lines along the Shchelkovskoye Highway and the Entuziastov Highway. The prefect reports the need to hold a meeting with Internet providers to discuss issues of placing networks in underground sewers, connecting buildings located on the first line from apartment buildings located inside blocks, and dismantling lines laid without obtaining permits. This meeting was held a week ago, where it was said that the capital repair department (DCR) of the city at the end of June would complete the laying of underground sewerage along Entuziastov Highway with the installation of wells, but without bringing the sewerage system to the houses - this must be done by the providers themselves. As one of the operators told Kommersant, the meeting took place on June 9. At the same time, it is not yet clear who will own the infrastructure between the houses and how much it will cost to rent, added another Kommersant interlocutor. “Perhaps the authorities will explain at the next meeting,” he hopes.

“The prefecture is not carrying out any work (on transferring lines - Kommersant ), we only provided the DKR with information about the providers operating in these areas,” Andrey Ivanov, press secretary of the VAO prefecture, told Kommersant. He added that the DKR is working on the “My Street” program (its goal is to create a favorable environment for pedestrians and cyclists). The capital repair department itself did not answer Kommersant’s questions.

Receipt of letters about work to remove overhead cable networks from the territory of the first line of houses on Entuziastov Highway was confirmed by Akado Group of Companies (according to TMT Consulting, at the end of the first quarter it occupied 17% of the Moscow market) and MegaFon (9%). “We adhere to the law according to which the transfer of overhead cable crossings must be carried out at the expense of the initiator of the process (such a provision is in the law “On Communications” - Kommersant ),” noted Akado representative Denis Rychka. According to Dmitry Petrov, director of government affairs at MegaFon, large-scale construction of underground sewerage systems in a crisis will become extremely burdensome for operators and the budget. The only possible solution to the problem that arises when transferring legally located lines underground will be compensation for the costs of operators, Mr. Petrov added. He did not undertake to estimate the cost of the transfer, since the parameters of the project are still unknown. According to estimates by another market participant, work along the Shchelkovskoye Highway and Entuziastov Highway could cost about 110 million rubles. per operator.

Mr. Petrov also notes that some base stations, primarily LTE equipment, are connected to communication lines in the air. “It cannot be connected to the core network by radio relay channels. In addition, replacing overhead wires with sewerage is not possible everywhere - for example, in old houses where there are no necessary communications. It will be necessary to obtain the consent of the building owners and architectural supervision, which is practically impossible,” he points out. Representative of Rostelecom (share in the Moscow market - 18%) Valery Kostarev noted that the Moscow authorities are discussing the transfer of overhead lines underground not only on Entuziastov Highway and Shchelkovskoye Highway, but also on other streets being reconstructed, for example on Spiridonovka, but the decision has not yet been made accepted. “When transferring communication lines, it is necessary to be guided by current legislation and the principle of ensuring continuity and quality of service provision,” he believes. MGTS (29%) stated that they use their line-cable structures located underground and are ready to provide space in the sewer system to those who wish. VimpelCom (15%) declined to comment.

Anna Balashova

The Internet goes underground