Advanced telecommunication services are becoming increasingly available in Russia
Russia has one of the highest mobile communications penetration figures in the world — 151 active subscribers per 100 population, a quarter higher than in developed countries (120) and two thirds more than in developing ones (91). Land lines density in Russia is not very high — 27 phones per 100 population (in developed countries the figure is 40). Thus currently the number of active mobile subscribers in Russia is 1.5 times higher than the number of population. Therefore the market has practically exhausted the potential for extensive growth: the absolute number of subscribers increased in 2014 only by 1.2%, and the relative number (per 100 population) remained unchanged since 2013 at 99.5%. At the same time, mobile traffic has grown by 3% compared with 2013.
The study notes that development of mobile communications is closely linked with providing internet access, for transfer of content, high-quality sound and other communication components. In 2015, 46% of global households had internet access; in developed countries, the figure is 81%, in developing ones — 34%. Compared with 2010 the growth amounted to 15–18 percentage points. Internet penetration in Russian households was more active: during the previous five years the share of households with internet access grew by 22 percentage points, from 48 to 70%. The current level is higher than the average figures for the CIS, North and South America, Middle Eastern countries and other regions of the world, but 12% lower than in Europe.
According to the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), the global internet audience has exceeded 3 billion people and amounts to 43% of the global population. In Russia, every second person aged 15–72 (52%) accesses the net daily. The overall internet audience in 2014 amounted to 70% of the number of population in the above age group. In terms of annual internet audience (as well as households’ internet access) Russia lags behind the average European figures, but is ahead of other regions of the world.
Gulnara Abdrakhmanova, Director of the Centre for Statistics and Monitoring of Information Society at HSE Institute for Statistical Studies and Economics of Knowledge, comments on this data:
“Development of telecommunications in Russia in general matches the global trends, confirming a direct link between the nation’s current economic situation and the level of consumer spending on telecommunication services. During the previous decade, the communication industry’s growth peaked in 2006–2008, with annual average added value growth achieved in the telecommunications sector reaching 13% while the overall GDP growth was at 7%. In 2009–2011, the growth rates were much lower, on average at 1.5% per year. Since 2012, the industry’s growth has picked up, again exceeding the overall GDP growth rate. Availability of and demand for internet access were the main drivers of these trends. If in 2010 only every fourth Russian accessed the net daily, in 2014 it was every second person aged 15–72.
“The above data is evidence of a significant progress in availability of telecommunication services in Russia. But achieving a competitive level and bridging regional gaps would require significant further effort to develop the ICT infrastructure, including public infrastructural projects”.