Rostelecom (Russian: Ростелеком) is Russia's largest provider of digital services[1] for a wide variety of consumers, households, private businesses, government and municipal authorities, and other telecom providers. Rostelecom interconnects all local public operators' networks into a single national network for long-distance service. In other words, if one makes a long-distance call or originates Internet contact to or from Russia, Rostelecom is likely providing part of the service. The company's stock trades primarily on the Moscow Exchange.[2]
History
Before 1990, the Ministry of Communications of the USSR provided telecommunications services. On 26 June 1990, the Ministry established a state-owned joint-stock company, Sovtelekom, which obtained the rights to operate the USSR's telecommunications network. On 30 December 1992, by order of the State Property Committee of Russia, a state-owned enterprise, Rostelecom, was established. It consisted of 20 state-owned long-distance and international call lines, as well as Intertelekom communication equipment.
Throughout the 1990s, the company, which was a part of Svyazinvest, was the sole long-distance operator in Russia. Alongside it, local companies operated in the different regions of Russia under the umbrella of Svyazinvest, while Rostelecom connected its networks. In 2001, these companies were merged to form several regional incumbent telecommunications operators: CentreTelecom, SibirTelecom, Dalsvyaz, Uralsvyazinform, VolgaTelecom, North-West Telecom, Southern Telecommunications Company, and Dagsvyazinform.