North Ossetia's e-future

A meeting has taken in the Kremlin over implementation of the program on «TV broadcasting in the Russian Federation in 2009 – 2015» . The plenipotentiary envoy of the Russian president in the North Caucasus Federal District, Alexander Khloponin, and the head of North Ossetia, Tajmuraz Mamsurov, attended the meeting. TV broadcasting in North Ossetia is to be switched to digital. The program is to embrace all the populated areas of the republic.

According to the chief executive of the Russian TV and Radio network's North Ossetian branch, Robert Aguzarov, currently "the terrain makes it impossible to broadcast many TV channels in many districts of North Ossetia."

One main problem is that the existing shortage of frequencies is mainly caused by their active use by the security agencies, as well as providing the population with the required special equipment. The price of a kit is about 3 – 4 thousand roubles. In addition, a mountain village's population must amount to no less than 400 people, or digital TV cannot be launched in the settlement. However, 25–30 % of Ossetian mountain villages have fewer than 400 people. Therefore, by 2015 they may be left without TV broadcasting.

The transmission complex in Lysaya Gora remains a major issue. It will provide the population with a complete modern telecommunication service.

The  project will cost about 1 billion 230 million roubles, with an estimated construction duration of about 3 years. The project is subsidized as part of the federal investment program.  "E-government" is a major topic in North Ossetia. According to the Ministry of Communications of Russia, 165 state services became available on a federal portal in 2010.  This made North Ossetia the fifth most successful regional implementor of the program in Russia and first among the republics of the North Caucasus. Now the «Electronic Russia» program has expired.  The «Information Society» program, planned over 10 years, has been launched instead.

Tamra Bunturi, Vladikavkaz. Eclusively to VK