Communication
The Chelyabinsk Region is characterized by a high level of development of information and communications technologies. According to a number of development indicators such as net digitalization level, amount of exploited new technologies, Internet services the region ranks among the top ten constituent entities of the Russian Federation. Nowadays the Chelyabinsk Region has reached 100%- digitalization of intra-zone primary net. All cities and district centres of the region are provided with automatic intercity direct dialing. The technical resources available make it possible to provide users with almost any modern communication services.
In 2007 the volume of communication services totaled 12980.5 million rubles which is 56.3% more than in the previous year.
Within the recent years cellular services have been spread more and more widely. As of the beginning of 2007 the major cellular operators in the Chelyabinsk Region are: GSM - Chelyabinsk division of Interregional branch of cellular communication of “Uralsvyazinform”, “Mobile TeleSystems” (MTS), “Ural GSM” (“Megafon”), “Vympelkom” (Beeline GSM), “Chelyabinsk Cellular Communication” (TELE2); IS-95 (CDMA) - “Uralsvyazinform”.
At present a unified communication medium of the Chelyabinsk Region is established on the basis of “Transtelecom’s” segment of the main optical fiber communication line. The network covers the major part of the Chelyabinsk Region and goes through not only cities and towns, but almost each station of the South Ural Railway can have a dedicated channel. This communication line can transmit about 30 thousand communication channels.