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- The Internet and yes: for the non-admission of providers to the houses of the Criminal Code, they began to be held accountable
The Internet and yes: for the non-admission of providers to the houses of the Criminal Code, they began to be held accountable
Management companies have begun to hold accountable for blocking providers from accessing residential buildings. The law on non-discriminatory admission entered into force in 2024, but in fact is not being respected, the Ministry of Finance told Izvestia. The agency has already sent dozens of appeals to the prosecutor's office, after which they began to issue warnings to management companies. According to experts, the Criminal Code will be influenced by a newly introduced additional tool — the Administrative Code sets fines of up to 500 thousand rubles for obstructing the work of operators.
How management companies oblige providers to enter residential buildings
Despite the fact that the law on non-discriminatory access of Internet service providers to apartment buildings came into force back in April 2024, management companies (CC) continue to put up obstacles. The Ministry of Finance regularly sends appeals from citizens and operators to the prosecutor's office related to problems of connecting residents of apartment buildings to the Internet, the press service of the department told Izvestia. The Ministry of Finance began involving law enforcement officers in solving the problem last year — a total of 29 letters were sent.
The first positive decisions have already been made on eight appeals, one of which was from an Internet provider, the Ministry of Finance said. For example, in St. Petersburg, Rostelecom and Infotech have gained access to the MCD. In addition, two management companies were issued orders, and one Criminal Code was cautioned for violating the rules of interaction between the telecom operator and the person managing the apartment building. In the Voronezh Region, two CC companies received warnings and representations for similar violations. In the Irkutsk region, the issue of the legality of the actions of the Criminal Code has been referred to the arbitration court, according to the Ministry of Finance.
The ministry also recalled that in July, amendments to the Administrative Code of the Russian Federation were adopted in the Russian Federation, establishing fines for violations by management companies of the rules of interaction with telecom operators — the Ministry of Finance participated in their preparation and discussion in the State Duma. According to this document, if the Criminal Code, homeowners' associations or housing and construction cooperatives create obstacles for Internet service providers, the fine for their officials is up to 40 thousand rubles. For legal entities, it can reach up to 500 thousand (in case of repeated violation, from 600 thousand to 1 million rubles).
— The Ministry of Finance expects that the measures taken will put an end to the practice when providers block access to home infrastructure. This will give residents more opportunities to choose their own operator, and the telecommunications market will enjoy healthy competition," the ministry added.
Following the adoption of the law on non-discriminatory admission of telecom operators to apartment buildings, the government of the Russian Federation approved the rules for their interaction with persons managing MCD, said Leonid Konik, a partner at ComNews Research. It follows from them that the management company or other organization servicing the house is obliged to ensure the unhindered access of any telecom operator who has signed a contract with at least one of the residents of the house.
— The rules do not set a minimum number of providers in the house, so the management company can easily deny them access, citing the lack of space to place telecommunication cabinets or racks, as well as to lay another cable. According to the operators, this happens all the time, and getting into the MCD has remained a difficult task for them," the expert says.
There are no dedicated locations for telecom equipment in most MKDS. And the Criminal Code can always bring arguments against its installation in basements, attics, technical floors or roofs (for example, violation of fire safety rules), Leonid Konik pointed out. Time will tell how much they will be able to challenge in the prosecutor's office and the courts, he believes.
Izvestia sent inquiries to the largest Russian operators, as well as to management companies.
The basic Law providing for unhindered access of telecom operators to apartment buildings has been in force for more than two years. However, in practice, its execution was really lame: individual organizations continued to delay the admission of providers or even hinder it altogether, said Alexander Yakubovsky, a member of the State Duma Committee on Construction and Housing and Communal Services. This was largely due to the lack of special responsibility. The Criminal Code had a duty, but there was not enough effective mechanism to enforce it, so residents and operators often had to contact the prosecutor's office and the courts, he believes.
— Now we have eliminated this gap in the State Duma by passing a law providing for fines. I believe that now the requirements of the law will be enforced, and residents will be able to freely choose a telecom operator based on price and quality of services," Alexander Yakubovsky said.
What inconveniences does the non-admission of providers to the MCD create for residents?
The problem with operators' access to residential buildings is common. Last year's story was the loudest, when in March 2025, the Lovit Internet provider, which serves the PIK company's new buildings in Moscow and St. Petersburg, was subjected to a DDoS attack. As a result, residents of new buildings and tenants of commercial real estate were left without Internet access and pay-TV services. There were also problems with the engineering systems in the houses. The residents were unable to reconnect to other networks, as they simply did not exist.
According to Sofia Komissarova, senior analyst at the Center for Strategic Support of Domestic Technologies, violations are most often found in large cities and are not associated with a complete denial of access, but with delayed approvals, the creation of administrative barriers or attempts to maintain exclusive relationships with individual operators.
— The main consequences are reduced competition and limited choice for residents. If new operators cannot enter the house, residents lose the opportunity to choose a more favorable tariff or access modern digital services, and existing providers lose the incentive to improve the quality of services," she stressed.
The intervention of the prosecutor's office is a fairly effective tool, as it creates a clear practice of applying the law and reduces the number of such violations, she believes. According to her, if the fines provided for by the amendments to the Administrative Code are proportionate and applied consistently, they can become an effective preventive mechanism. However, the maximum effect is possible only if administrative responsibility is combined with operational control over the enforcement of the law and the inevitability of punishment, she stressed.
Rostelecom welcomes the amendments to the Administrative Code, but the fact that the amendments are adopted is unlikely to have a quick effect, law enforcement practice is important, Alexey Demyanenko, director of products and tariffs for the company's mass segment, told Izvestia.
— We believe that at least some of the players will change their approach now, and it will become easier to enter their homes. Until recently, it was convenient to organize an Italian strike and not respond to requests from operators. The introduction of responsibility, contacting the supervisory authorities on these issues, of course, will help to move forward," he believes.
It is obvious that situations where management organizations prevent operators from accessing the MCD primarily violate the interests of residents: they are deprived of the opportunity to choose, the connection of services is delayed, and the time for technical work is increasing, Megafon noted. Therefore, contacting the prosecutor's office can become an effective response mechanism, the company believes.
— The availability of high—quality and stable Internet in apartment buildings has long moved from the category of options to the basic minimum, so we are still at the construction stage of the house attracting providers who are ready to lay the necessary communications, and do not limit their number, - said the press service of the service company "People".
After the arrival of operators offering stable Internet connection and competitive tariffs, other providers begin to more carefully assess the economic feasibility of entering this facility. In such cases, it is much easier for them to refuse to connect one or two potential subscribers, the service company noted.
Previously, the number of operators was limited due to the fact that the management companies had the right to charge them. Thus, providers assessed the financial risks and potential payback of the project in advance. After the cancellation of this practice, some operators are ready to build a network even for the sake of connecting one or two clients.
When such a company enters a house and lays a cable, it smashes walls and ceilings, and this is a communal property that belongs to the owners, not the provider, said Yolanta Ovchinnikova, a leading expert on the design of service concepts at the Developer's School.
— The problem is that after laying the cable, the providers don't seal up, putty, or paint over the holes — they just leave. And then it is the management company that has to eliminate this unplanned damage at the expense of the maintenance and repair tariff, that is, at the expense of residents' money," she added.
Some management companies have already become accustomed to receiving money from operators for access to homes and equipment placement — it is painful to move away from this practice, says Denis Kuskov, CEO of TelecomDaily. Of course, an increase in the number of providers in the house and competition between them lead to lower tariffs and improved communication quality, he agrees. However, operators must behave carefully — bundles of wires sticking out of the walls and hanging from the ceiling often irritate residents and can cause problems for services working in the house, the expert concluded.
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