Belarus demands from Skype to share profits

The Ministry of Communications and Informatization of Belarus believes that Skype and other operators of instant messaging and IP telephony should deduct part of the profits to the state.

“Pricing (of telephone and Internet communication services - IF) is also influenced by the fact that on top of the network resources created by cellular operators and Beltelecom, technologies from Skype and others work, whose operators do not invest a single cent in the development of technologies within the republic “said the head of the department, Sergei Popkov.

He noted that the use of IP telephony by citizens, according to various estimates, leads to a decrease in the income of landline and cellular telephone operators by 10-15%. “We will work with the government to monetize these services to some extent, so that these operators share their income. Therefore, everything must be fair,” he said.