Informatization

The development level of the telecommunications infrastructure in St. Petersburg is defined by the following factors:

• The number of telephones per capita is 41 per 100 citizens, which is one of the highest indices in Russia, close to the average European index;
• Availability of a modern primary transport net-work. The length of the transport network exceeds 35000 km, with inter-station communications based mostly on fiber-optic cables that allow the transmission rates up to 40 Gbit/sec and use the latest technologies. The total length of the fiber-optic communication lines reaches 6000 km;
• The quantity and the quality of the telecom-munication services rendered. The citizens, organizations, enterprises and businesses of St. Petersburg can enjoy the whole range of modern telecommunication services - from using a high-quality digital telephone to holding teleconferences;
• The development level of the new types of communication (cellular radiotelephone, paging, trunking on-line communication). At present the number of radiotelephones in St. Petersburg exceeds 1.2 mln pieces. By the number of radiotelephones per capita St. Petersburg occupies the leading place in Russia. Over ten paging companies are successfully operating in the city, and the infrastructure for modern trunking on-line communication has been created;
• The number of TV channels and the quality of reception. New networks and studios of cable TV are being built in the city. ОАО "TV Company St. Petersburg Cable Television" alone is servicing more than 480 thousand subscribers who can watch up to 16 TV channels, and a few channels of satellite TV and broadcasting programs of the cable network. On the whole, more than 600 thousand subscribers are using the services of the cable TV network operators in St. Petersburg. Actively reconstructed are multi-user reception systems to facilitate the availability of the maximum possible number of TV channels;
• Price level and saturation of the market. More than 150 communication operators are working on the market. The tariffs for major telephone services of "Petersburg Telephone Network", a branch of ОАО "North-West Telecom", are of the average level in Russia;
• Implementation of large investment projects. The telecommunication infrastructure of St. Petersburg remains one of the most investment-attractive.

The development level of the information infrastructure in St. Petersburg is characterized by the following:

• The information infrastructure is created for servicing the financial and banking sphere, large and medium businesses (the informatization level of these sectors in St. Petersburg complies with the European index);
• Modern information technologies are actively implemented in small businesses, science, education, social security and administration (the number of PCs in these sectors has doubled during the year);
• Over 300 organizations and companies of various forms of ownership specialize in the provision of information services in various branches of economy, politics, and social sphere. More than 500 data bases and data banks have been created and are being used;
• A stable and diversified computer market has been formed, with the annual turnover exceeding 60 mln USD. Nearly all leading world-wide computer companies are represented in the market. Recently there appeared and is steadily developing the tendency of the increasing share of the so-called "red assembling" - the equipment produced by a few large local computer companies, which is highly competitive with the equipment of the leading North American and European firms.

The price level and the saturation of the market show that the communication and informatics hardware, telecommunication and information services became available to medium and small businesses and to the city dwellers with the income no smaller than the average:

• The majority of private PCs exceed in parameters the computers used at schools, higher educational establishments and public organizations;
• 80-90 per cent of legal and physical entities in small and medium businesses possess modern computing and telecommunication equipment.

Computers and telecommunication equipment are being implemented and actively used by the departments of St. Petersburg Administration:

• nearly all departments of St. Petersburg Administration are equipped with computers and telecommunication hardware. The City Administration uses more than 5000 PCs, 68 LVS (local data-processing networks), more than 100 data bases and data banks are being created and used;
• more than 60% of the officers of St. Petersburg Administration are using information technologies in their daily work;
• all territorial and branch divisions of St. Petersburg Administration have Information Departments.

Assessing the current informatization level in St. Petersburg, it can be concluded that the city is experiencing the initial stage of transition to the information society, which is characterised by massive spontaneous implementation of autonomous computing equipment, of simple telecommunication equipment and automation of the elemental processes.

The second stage of transition to the information society, that St. Petersburg is facing now, is characterised by creation and utilization of sophisticated municipal, departmental and commercial information systems, data bases, formation of the unified information space via the municipal telecommunication network. The complexity of the work and the costs are much higher at the second informatization stage and need a corresponding legislative and organizational support, a multi-profile co-operation and co-ordination from St. Petersburg Administration.

Telecommunications and Communication Services

St. Petersburg holds the second place in Russia by the Internet services volume. More than 100 organizations providing the access to the world-wide web resources are operating in the city. The number of users who have experience of working in Internet has grown to 600 thousand people. The number of permanent users of Internet provider services exceeds 140 thousand people. More than 1.6 mln citizens are using the computer on a daily basis. 35% out of them have a PC at home.

In 2001 the following major all-city projects were under implementation: "Creation of an Automated Information System "State Register of the Population of St. Petersburg" (AIS "GPN of St. Petersburg"), "Development of the Automated Control System for the Unified Duty Service of St. Petersburg based on utilization of geoinformation systems", "Creation of a Multi-service Telecommunication Network for the Executive Bodies of St. Petersburg", "Construction of Cable TV Networks" and other.

During 2001 ОАО "Petersburg Telephone Network", renamed now ОАО "North-West Telecom", has been replacing the outdated decade-step equipment, increasing the capacity of the telephone network up to 1923 000 numbers, and implementing the installation of 34 000 new telephone numbers.

The year of 2001 was noted by a fast growth of cellular communication in GSM standard. Arrival onto the market of a new operator - ОАО "Mobile TeleSystems", alongside with the existing large operators "North-West GSM", "Delta Telecom", "St. Petersburg Telecom" ("Fora"), facilitated a significant increase of the number of subscribers.

In 2001 the post offices of St. Petersburg processed 285 mln letters, 3.3 mln parcels, 2.5 mln money orders. Monthly the post offices of St. Petersburg serve more than 1.5 mln pensioners and indigent people who receive, respectively, their pensions and subsidies.

The total volume of the communication services rendered by the organizations of St. Petersburg in January-December 2001 is estimated as 15.9 bln roubles, including services to the population - 6.4 bln roubles. Out of this volume, the organizations of the RF Ministry of Communications (including the share-holding companies formed on their basis) located in the city rendered services for the amount of 4.5 bln roubles, including services to individuals - 2.5 bln roubles. As compared to January-December 2000 the total volume of services, in comparable prices, increased by 2.7%, while the volume of services rendered to individuals decreased by 0.5%.

As of 1 January 2002 the number of basic telephone lines connected to the network of general use of RF Ministry of Communications made 1.92 mln pieces - 2% more than the corresponding number of telephone lines as of 1 January 2001. The number of private telephone lines increased by 1.4%.

The number of public payphones installed by 1 January 2002 made 3.6 thousand units (1.1% more than on 1 January 2001), including universal payphones with card payment - 2.2 thousand units (2.5% growth), intercity (international) payphones - 0.3 thousand units (1.2% growth).

The number of connected subscriber's radio stations of cellular communication operators grew by 2.6 times since the beginning of the year to reach 930.6 thousand units by the end of the year.

The main direction of the activities of St. Petersburg Administration in respect of creation of a modern information infrastructure in 2001 is building up of the public resources system of St. Petersburg (including branches and districts), and creation of telecommunication and information support system to public authorities and administrative bodies.

According to RF Law "On Communications", all objects of public communications are of federal subordination, therefore the regulation of tariffs for the services of the city's telephone network is carried out by the federal executive body - RF Ministry on Antimonopoly Policy and Entrepreneurship Support.