confront such activity. Instead, it heavily regulates market participants and is taking a
sluggish approach to technological innovation. All ISPs in Belarus must connect to the
Internet through channels of the state-owned ISP Beltelecom, thus facilitating the government’s control over all Internet traffic. The president has established a strong and
elaborate information security policy and has declared his intention to exercise strict
control over the Internet under the pretext of national security. Based on periodic testing, ONI has detected sporadic but sophisticated blocking of Internet content,
prompted by political events in the country, suggesting that the regime is inclined
toward using second- and third-generation techniques.
Notes
1. In the earlier redaction of the Belarus constitution, it was provided that the president cannot
remain the head of state for more than two terms. A referendum in 2004, however, abolished
that restriction, opening the doors for the current president to stay in power for an unlimited
time.
2. The World Bank has acknowledged the high levels of growth of the Belarusian economy in
recent years. Nonetheless, the bank has emphasized that the economy is highly dependent on
the price of Russian gas and the industries are subject to strict state regulations.
3. IHS Global Insight, ‘‘Belarus,’’ May 2009, http://www.globalinsight.com/.
4. Miniwatts Marketing Group, ‘‘Internet World Statistics: Belarus,’’ 2009, http://www
.internetworldstats.com/europa2.htm#by. Note that the Ministry of Communication and Informatization estimates that the Internet users are only around 3.3 million; Interfax News Agency
‘‘Minsvyazi Prognoziruet 500 Tysyach Polzovateley Shirokopolsnogo Interneta v Belorussii v
2010 Godu’’ [Communication Ministry Forecasts 500 Thousand in Belarus by 2010], http://it
.tut.by/news/96876.html.
5. ByFly, ‘‘2 Khoroshie Novosti Dlya Nashikh Abonentov’’ [Two Pieces of Good News for Our
Subscribers], December 15, 2008, http://www.byfly.by/bnews/26518/.
6. European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, Communications Sector Assessment 2008,
http://www.ebrd.com/country/sector/law/telecoms/assess/belarus.pdf.
7. It.Tut.by, ‘‘Ministr Svyazi: v Belorussii 170 Tysyach Polzovateley Shirokopolosnogo Interneta’’
[Minister of Communications: There are 170 Thousand Broadband Subscribers in Belarus], April
21, 2008, http://it.tut.by/news/96647.html.
8. Tut.by, ‘‘Issle dovanie auditorii interneta v Belarusi, 2009,’’ [Investigation of the Internet Audience in Belarus, 2009], April 2009, http://tutby.com/service/advert/statistics/.
9. It.Tut.by, ‘‘Minstat: v 2007 Godu Kompiuter Byl v Kazhdoy Chetvertoy Belorusskoy Semye’’
[Ministry of Statistics: in 2007 Every Fourth Belarusian Family had a Computer], March 12, 2008,
http://it.tut.by/news/96941.html.
Belarus
169
sluggish approach to technological innovation. All ISPs in Belarus must connect to the
Internet through channels of the state-owned ISP Beltelecom, thus facilitating the government’s control over all Internet traffic. The president has established a strong and
elaborate information security policy and has declared his intention to exercise strict
control over the Internet under the pretext of national security. Based on periodic testing, ONI has detected sporadic but sophisticated blocking of Internet content,
prompted by political events in the country, suggesting that the regime is inclined
toward using second- and third-generation techniques.
Notes
1. In the earlier redaction of the Belarus constitution, it was provided that the president cannot
remain the head of state for more than two terms. A referendum in 2004, however, abolished
that restriction, opening the doors for the current president to stay in power for an unlimited
time.
2. The World Bank has acknowledged the high levels of growth of the Belarusian economy in
recent years. Nonetheless, the bank has emphasized that the economy is highly dependent on
the price of Russian gas and the industries are subject to strict state regulations.
3. IHS Global Insight, ‘‘Belarus,’’ May 2009, http://www.globalinsight.com/.
4. Miniwatts Marketing Group, ‘‘Internet World Statistics: Belarus,’’ 2009, http://www
.internetworldstats.com/europa2.htm#by. Note that the Ministry of Communication and Informatization estimates that the Internet users are only around 3.3 million; Interfax News Agency
‘‘Minsvyazi Prognoziruet 500 Tysyach Polzovateley Shirokopolsnogo Interneta v Belorussii v
2010 Godu’’ [Communication Ministry Forecasts 500 Thousand in Belarus by 2010], http://it
.tut.by/news/96876.html.
5. ByFly, ‘‘2 Khoroshie Novosti Dlya Nashikh Abonentov’’ [Two Pieces of Good News for Our
Subscribers], December 15, 2008, http://www.byfly.by/bnews/26518/.
6. European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, Communications Sector Assessment 2008,
http://www.ebrd.com/country/sector/law/telecoms/assess/belarus.pdf.
7. It.Tut.by, ‘‘Ministr Svyazi: v Belorussii 170 Tysyach Polzovateley Shirokopolosnogo Interneta’’
[Minister of Communications: There are 170 Thousand Broadband Subscribers in Belarus], April
21, 2008, http://it.tut.by/news/96647.html.
8. Tut.by, ‘‘Issle dovanie auditorii interneta v Belarusi, 2009,’’ [Investigation of the Internet Audience in Belarus, 2009], April 2009, http://tutby.com/service/advert/statistics/.
9. It.Tut.by, ‘‘Minstat: v 2007 Godu Kompiuter Byl v Kazhdoy Chetvertoy Belorusskoy Semye’’
[Ministry of Statistics: in 2007 Every Fourth Belarusian Family had a Computer], March 12, 2008,
http://it.tut.by/news/96941.html.
Belarus
169