OREANDA-NEWS. March 25, 2009. The Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS Russia) found "Bashinformsvyaz" OJSC violated Part 1 Article 10 of the Federal Law "ON Protection of Competition" (abusing dominant position), reported the press-centre of FAS Russia.

The case was initiated upon a petition of "MTS" OJSC, which provides the services of local, intra-zonal, cellular communications in the Bashkortostan Republic.

"Bashinformsvyaz" OJSC has dominant position on the market connecting telecommunication networks and traffic transmission at the local and intra-zonal levels in Ufa and the Bashkortostan Republic accordingly. The case was initiated upon restricting and terminating the transmission of the local and intra-zonal traffic.

Investigating the case, FAS Russia has concluded that actions of "Bashinformsvyaz" OJSC infringe the interests of "MTS" OJSC, and restrict the rights of a connected operator for optimal use of its own communication infrastructure in providing communication services to the end-users, which results in restricting competition on the market of connecting and traffic transmission and can lead to restricting competition on the market of local, intra-zonal, cellular telecommunication.

FAS Russia finds inadmissible the actions of the dominant operators that prevent optimal organization of providing communication services for the users, beneficial for the operators that provide or intend to provide such services. Upon investigating the case, FAS Russia made a decision to issue a determination to "Bashinformsvyaz" OJSC, aimed at preventing such restrictions.