Russia Boosts Digitalization Budget by 58% Using Telecom Operators' Universal Service Fund
The Russian government plans to allocate 16.3 billion rubles in 2027 for digital solutions from the universal service reserve, which is 58% higher than the previously planned 10.3 billion rubles. This reserve is replenished by contributions from telecom operators, yet its spending extends well beyond rural internet connectivity.
According to Vedomosti, the additional funds are directed toward the national project Data Economy and the state program Information Society. For 2028, the proposed allocation rises to 18.6 billion rubles from the earlier figure of 11.1 billion rubles. The contribution rate from operators remains fixed at 2% of revenue, and MinTsifry has confirmed that any increase is not currently under discussion.
Separately, 19.3 billion rubles are still planned for universal communication services, including connecting small settlements and developing infrastructure, with no change to this amount. The extra digital funding will support state information systems, digital platforms, cloud infrastructure, artificial intelligence projects, and quantum technologies.
At the same time, financing for digitalization from additional revenues generated by traffic fines is proposed to drop from 34.3 billion rubles to 21.2 billion rubles in 2027. Analyst Vladimir Bespalov from Euler suggests the revision may reflect improved collection of contributions and is unlikely to have a significant impact on tariffs.
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