the results of the telecom industry in the Russian Federation in 2022 turned out to be better than in previous crises

Despite sanctions, disrupted supply chains, and labor market turbulence, Russia’s telecom industry performed better in 2022 than in past crises. According to the Institute for Statistical Research and Economics of Knowledge (ISSEK) of the National Research University Higher School of Economics, industry revenues increased by 3.1%, to 1.8 trillion rubles, which is comparable to the level of 2017 (3.2%). At the same time, in 2015 and 2016, when the Russian economy was under the influence of sanctions due to the annexation of Crimea, industry revenues barely grew or decreased, and in 2020 and 2021, during the pandemic, the growth was only 1.5% and 2. 5% respectively. In 2022, the increase in income was primarily due to an increase in tariffs for services for the population (+6.8%, which, however, is below the inflation rate of 11.94%). At the same time, tariffs for legal entities remained practically unchanged (+0.3%). Over the year, income from services to these consumer groups grew by 4.4% and 1.6%, respectively, individuals provided more than 53% of the industry’s income.

At the end of 2022, almost all telecom segments were in positive territory. The largest increase in revenue was recorded from the mobile Internet (plus 8.6%, up to 356 billion rubles). Income from the fixed Internet grew by 4.2%, to 243 billion rubles, by the same amount – from television and radio broadcasting (up to 115 billion rubles). Revenue from mobile cellular communications increased by 1.8% (up to 463 billion rubles), satellite communications – by 0.9% (up to 19 billion rubles), other communication services – by 1.9% (up to 485 billion rubles). ). Negative dynamics (minus 4.6%, to 125 billion rubles) was shown by income from fixed telephony against the backdrop of a 16.4% decrease in the duration of outgoing telephone connections.

At the same time, a growing number of funds are being allocated to a decreasing number of organizations. So, if in 2015 there were 17.4 thousand legal entities in the industry, then at the end of 2022, according to SPARK-Interfax, their number decreased to 9.2 thousand. Internet providers operating in local markets and providing fixed network access services,” emphasizes the ISSEK. Let us recall that earlier the Ministry of Digital Development, together with the largest telecom operators, prepared a preliminary version of the industry development strategy until 2035, taking into account the accession of new territories to the Russian Federation, the interest of developing countries in Russian solutions and the rejection of outdated technologies, including 3G.

Venera Petrova