We read the news correctly. Skype will not be banned in Russia

On July 22, 2009, the whole runet spread around the news that Megaphone calls to ban skype in Russia (here are links to this topic only on Habré: 1 , 2 , 3 ). A huge number of users erupted in this regard with righteous anger at Mr. Ermakov as a representative of Megafon and other mobile network operators. The reaction can be understood, but the question is - were they justified?

Let's analyze the news point by point and try to figure out where the facts are in it, and where are our speculations and the incompetence of journalists.

For the original news, I will take the text at the first link provided, from the indisputably authoritative resource www.securitylab.ru

UPD1:I strongly advise you to read the record to the end. Having grabbed a few paragraphs from a long (what to do) text, you are unlikely to understand the main idea.
UPD2: thanks for the karma, transferred to "I am smart . "
UPD3: the topic was moved by moderators to the Telecoms blog .
UPD4: in the comments it turned out that initially the news appeared on Habré. published without specifying the source of the users goodlark (it is in the comments on this post ).
UPD5: found related news collected in one place . there is a podcast, but the robot reads the text, take care of the brain!
UPD6: gorbarsky userfound indirect confirmation of the planned PR campaign.
Megaphone is the first in the list of clients of the Social Networks agency , which was quite capable with the hands of the same goodlark to publish the news under discussion. According to him, newcomers with the praises of Multifon have already crawled on the forums, which apparently also is included in the package of services of this agency.
UPD7: there was another link on the topic, I hope that the latter.
UPD8: news on the RSPP website.

start with the news headline:

Skype may be banned.

What can I say? the headline itself is surprisingly short, but at the same time in the style of the yellow press. why it is not said who will ban? Where? for now put off these questions ...

first paragraph:

Yesterday, a meeting of the RSPP Commission on Telecommunications and Information Technologies was held. On the agenda was a discussion of the prospects of IP-telephony in Russia ...

... discussion of the prospects of IP-telephony in Russia ...

everything seems to be fine, right? going to discuss prospects, what does the skype ban have to do with it? ..

second paragraph:

Valery Ermakov, First Deputy General Director of MegaFon OJSC, made a report in which there was a clear hostility to IP-telephony as a phenomenon. The words “cannibalize traffic” and “parasitize” sounded. Ermakov and his colleagues, or rather competitors from other companies, are very unhappy that IP telephony operators use the existing infrastructure for their enrichment, and network owners do not get anything from this. Megafon does not want to accept the subscription fee and the cost of traffic in the calculation.

... "hostility to IP-telephony" ... "cannibalizes traffic" ... "parasitizes" ...

phrases sound unpleasant for us (as ordinary consumers in their mass). all of us are adults and therefore we decide that Mr. Ermakov wants to set the listener against SIP.
but at the same time, we classify ourselves and these listeners, which in turn leads to an incorrect perception of subsequent information.

... IP-telephony operators are using the existing infrastructure ... MegaFon does not want to accept the subscription fee and the cost of traffic ...

two sensible but definitely mercantile thoughts. I’ll leave an assessment of these thoughts on the conscience of each reader (mindful of the incorrect positioning of myself as a listener), but let me remind you of one sentence from a famous joke: “Gene, but let me carry my suitcase, and you me?”

from the third to the sixth paragraphs are numbers that are not important in themselves for the perception of information, but on the whole additionally set us up against the "greedy" operators.

scroll through the seventh paragraph:

Ermakov sees two ways to solve the problems that have arisen for operators with the development of IP-telephony:

- protect investments and fight VoIP-services;
- provide similar services.

... protect ... provide similar services ...

our fears multiplied by the headline news begin to surface. “Protect” is equivalent to “prohibit”, the initiative of operators to provide their own services generally goes through the backyard of the central brain, perceived as something flawed.

By the way, here is a link to the news about the SIP service from Megafon. You will not believe it, but the news dates from the same 27th of July this year! ( upd! mixed up with dates: the initially discussed news appeared on July 21 on Habr, without specifying a source, then on July 22 on lab, and (sic!) again without indicating a source. And the news about SIP from Megafon is July 27) In the service description :

• MTS and VimpelCom users can download software and connect to the authorization server (only computer-to-computer calls are available)
• MegaFon’s metropolitan branch plans to charge a fee for calls to PC-> telephone — either as in the user's “home” tariff or slightly less

excerpt from the news:
" ... Most likely, MegaFon reasonably suggested that fighting VoIP and SIP solutions is useless (especially by acting as prohibitive measures on 3G networks) ... "

note: another journalist - another presentation of information ...

but we’ll return to news on securitylab. eighth paragraph, interim conclusion of the author of the news:

It is clear that for users the second way is the most attractive. But, unfortunately, it is not a fact that if operators begin to provide similar services, this competition will be fair. There is a big risk that Skype will simply be banned in Russia. And this will definitely happen if Skype does not connect to SORM (a system for listening to telephone conversations).

... Skype ... will be banned in Russia ... if Skype does not connect to SORM ...

where does this conclusion come from? where does this information come from? read on ...

ninth paragraph, denouement:

In his report, Ermakov focuses on the fact that now the voice will go through channels not controlled by the state. And by 2010, according to some estimates, 40% of the traffic will go through the IP-telephony operators. Also, operators really hope to draw the attention of officials to the fact that Skype makes money in Russia and does not pay taxes here, does not invest in infrastructure. And users, according to Ermakov, should be wary of service providers that are not officially represented in Russia, their activities are not controlled, therefore, the interests of subscribers are not protected.

... now the voice will go through channels not controlled by the state ...

firstly, a funny typo, it is clear that the author of the news did not know what he really wanted to say, but we will not quibble.
secondly, what channels are we talking about? about ISP / OPSOS level channels or about skype'a protocol itself? it is obvious that about the protocol, maybe the ISP / OPSOS are somehow controlled, and this is a fact.

... by 2010, according to some estimates, 40% of the traffic will go through the IP-telephony operators ...

there is no doubt that such calculations exist, it is unlikely that Mr. Ermakov or his subordinates will take figures from the ceiling. but were you not surprised by the figure of 40%? by what such estimates can this figure soar in just one year to such heights? I will answer - according to estimates of traffic that will go through the 3G network of mobile operators. where are such bright prospects? there is an answer to this, here is the news from 03/30/2009: “Skype will release an iPhone client for iPhone” ... again, it is no secret that clients already exist for other mobile platforms.

... according to Ermakov, service providers who are not officially represented in Russia should be wary ...

No, Mr. Ermakov, you will not deceive us! - we think together with the journalist.

the tenth paragraph, it's time to think:

As a result, at the last meeting, the RSPP Commission on Telecom and IT decided to create a working group that will propose measures to improve the regulatory framework.

... measures to improve the regulatory framework ...

of course we are talking about ban skype'a throughout Russia! - we no longer have doubts about this “fact”.

in the eleventh paragraph there is another personal conclusion of the author of the news:

The main legislative problem is that calls between fixed phones and SIP are not regulated in any way. However, it is not a fact that the measures that Megafon with TTK will offer will be in the hands of users. Operators are afraid of competition and strive to maintain their sources of income, to leave things as they are. Therefore, the risk that Skype will still be closed is very high.

... the risk that Skype ... will close is very high ...

trust but check. this rule should be applied not only to our authorities and corporations, but also to any other incoming information

Let's think ...

Why did we decide that it was a ban on the use of skype throughout Russia? Personally, when I first read the news, I finished off the phrase that SIP traffic will increase to 40% and that skype is not connected to SORM. Indeed, after these words it is believed that the government will decide on such a desperate and difficult step as banning the whole protocol in RuNet. But if you think about it a bit, read the links offered by the securitylab ( “Israel forbade operators to block Skype” , “Deutsche Telekom will block Skype” , “European authorities want to listen to Skype” , upd: found also “Mobile operators will block Skype” ), then, in my opinion, it becomes obvious that:

1.There is nothing wrong (surprising, unusual - choose the word that suits you best) in that the authorities want to listen to the conversations of citizens in the manner prescribed by law. Discussion of what to listen to, regardless of legality, is best left for other news.

2. The conversation at the meeting was exclusively about the “permission” of the PEPs to legally prohibit the traffic of third-party VoIP providers in 3G networks. This is indirectly indicated by the above link about Israel. As far as I understand - now none of the OPPOS legally prohibit the use of skype in 3G.

3.After the creation of the legislative framework for such measures of the OPPOS, skype will again become of no interest to anyone, including people working with SORM, since there will be no 40% and will be closely visible even after 5 years. In connection, the main thing is mobility, and so far only mobile operators can provide it. There is of course such a cool word as WiMax, but for now I would not rush to talk about it as a real competitor to OPOS.

PS : be vigilant on the Internet, and take care.
PPS : I am not an insider of POPs, although I once worked in this field :) but perhaps this fact helps me to look at them less biased and first try to understand the claims against them.