Public Morals has authority to inspect media,
including the Internet, in order to start a
procedure for revocation of the license in case of
violation. The National Expert Council, however,
has not issued any decision yet because it lacks
legal mechanisms for enforcement.
ONI testing results
ONI conducted testing on seven ISPs: Adamant,
Cornel,
Elvisti,
Ukrtelecom,
Volia,
Goldentelecom, and Ukr.net. The testing did not
detect any filtering, although a few Web sites with
content related to alcohol and drugs, public
health, human rights, and minority faiths were
temporarily inaccessible.
Conclusion
Citizens of Ukraine enjoy an unfettered access to
the Internet. The country has an Internet infrastructure oriented toward European providers,
and thus the ISPs are not influenced by the policies of Russian providers. However, the country
has built up an intricate system of bodies and
regulations that could be geared to surveillance
of information carried on telecommunications
networks, including the Internet.
NOTES
1. World Economic Forum, Global Information
Technology Report 2005–2006, http://www.weforum.
org/en/initiatives/gcp/Global%20Information%20Tech
nology%20Report/index.htm (last accessed May 2,
2007).
2. For more about Urktelecom’s privatization and the
alternatives to public sale, see “Ukrtelecom’s policy”
(in Russian), http://proit.com.ua/telecom/2006/
05/15/114501.html (last accessed May 2, 2007).
3. Serhey Malyhin, Events Digest (Review of Events in
ICT Policy in Ukraine over July: First part of August
2005), Global Internet PolicyInitiative, 2005,
http://gipi.internews.ua/eng/events_digest/digest_ev
ents_july_eng.pdf (last accessed May 2, 2007).
4. Andriy Vorobyov, Ukraine Telecommunications
Market Report, BISNIS, 2005, http://www.bisnis.doc.
gov/bisnis/bisdoc/0602UkraineTelecomReport.htm
(last accessed May 2, 2007).
5. For further information about the UA-IX Internet
Traffic Exchange, see Ukrainian traffic exchange network at http://www.ua-ix.net.ua/eng.
6. News Wire Feed, “Ukrtelecom uses Cisco routers:
Light reading: IP & convergence,” March 23, 2005,
http://www.lightreading.com/document.asp?doc_id=
70731; Thomson Press Release, “Thomson Pioneers
Next Generation Telecoms in Ukraine and Estonia,”
May 19, 2006, http://www.thomson.net/EN/Home/
Press/Press+Details.htm?PressReleaseID=ca229b6
8-c6ba-4e69-9b95-bbc7dd8540f0 (accessed May 2,
2007); News@Cisco News Release, “DataGroup to
deliver DWDM network in Ukraine with Cisco Optical
Technology,” February 15, 2006, http://newsroom.
cisco.com/dlls/2006/prod_021506.html (accessed
May 2, 2007).
7. A statement by Victor Bondar, Minister of Transport
and Telecommunication, quoted in “Minister
promises to cover Ukraine with Internet” Ukrainskaya
Pravda, January 18, 2006 (in Russian),
http://www.pravda.com.ua/ru/news/2006/1/18/36834.
htm (last accessed May 2, 2007).
8. See International Telecommunication Union, World
Telecommunication Indicators 2006. For comparison,
Internetworldstat estimates the data at 11.5 percent
for 2006; see Internet World Stats, Usage and
Population Statistics, 2007, http://www.internet
worldstats.com/stats4.htm (last accessed May 2,
2007).
9. International Telecommunication Union, World
Telecommunication Indicators 2006.
10. United Nations Development Programme in Ukraine,
Prosperity Through Poverty Alleviation,
http://www.undp.org.ua/?page=areas&area=2
(accessed May 2, 2007).
11. Law on Telecommunications of November 18, 2003.
The law abolished the provisions of the 1995
Communication Law, including the charges for
incoming calls for all kinds of telephone communications. See the text of the law at http://ilaw.org.ua/
(in Ukrainian).
12. The Director of Ukraine’s Security Service
Konstantyn Boyko pointed out the imminent danger
that Internet may cause to the country, stating:
“Foreign political forces, intelligence departments
and extremist organizations, which are able to direct
resources and endowments of the Internet to harm
our nation,” See “Security service to take totalitarian
control over Internet,” Ukrainskaya Pravda, May 27,
2006 (in Russian), http://www.pravda.com.ua/ru/
news/2006/5/27/41096.htm (last accessed May 2,
2007).
Country Summaries
403
including the Internet, in order to start a
procedure for revocation of the license in case of
violation. The National Expert Council, however,
has not issued any decision yet because it lacks
legal mechanisms for enforcement.
ONI testing results
ONI conducted testing on seven ISPs: Adamant,
Cornel,
Elvisti,
Ukrtelecom,
Volia,
Goldentelecom, and Ukr.net. The testing did not
detect any filtering, although a few Web sites with
content related to alcohol and drugs, public
health, human rights, and minority faiths were
temporarily inaccessible.
Conclusion
Citizens of Ukraine enjoy an unfettered access to
the Internet. The country has an Internet infrastructure oriented toward European providers,
and thus the ISPs are not influenced by the policies of Russian providers. However, the country
has built up an intricate system of bodies and
regulations that could be geared to surveillance
of information carried on telecommunications
networks, including the Internet.
NOTES
1. World Economic Forum, Global Information
Technology Report 2005–2006, http://www.weforum.
org/en/initiatives/gcp/Global%20Information%20Tech
nology%20Report/index.htm (last accessed May 2,
2007).
2. For more about Urktelecom’s privatization and the
alternatives to public sale, see “Ukrtelecom’s policy”
(in Russian), http://proit.com.ua/telecom/2006/
05/15/114501.html (last accessed May 2, 2007).
3. Serhey Malyhin, Events Digest (Review of Events in
ICT Policy in Ukraine over July: First part of August
2005), Global Internet PolicyInitiative, 2005,
http://gipi.internews.ua/eng/events_digest/digest_ev
ents_july_eng.pdf (last accessed May 2, 2007).
4. Andriy Vorobyov, Ukraine Telecommunications
Market Report, BISNIS, 2005, http://www.bisnis.doc.
gov/bisnis/bisdoc/0602UkraineTelecomReport.htm
(last accessed May 2, 2007).
5. For further information about the UA-IX Internet
Traffic Exchange, see Ukrainian traffic exchange network at http://www.ua-ix.net.ua/eng.
6. News Wire Feed, “Ukrtelecom uses Cisco routers:
Light reading: IP & convergence,” March 23, 2005,
http://www.lightreading.com/document.asp?doc_id=
70731; Thomson Press Release, “Thomson Pioneers
Next Generation Telecoms in Ukraine and Estonia,”
May 19, 2006, http://www.thomson.net/EN/Home/
Press/Press+Details.htm?PressReleaseID=ca229b6
8-c6ba-4e69-9b95-bbc7dd8540f0 (accessed May 2,
2007); News@Cisco News Release, “DataGroup to
deliver DWDM network in Ukraine with Cisco Optical
Technology,” February 15, 2006, http://newsroom.
cisco.com/dlls/2006/prod_021506.html (accessed
May 2, 2007).
7. A statement by Victor Bondar, Minister of Transport
and Telecommunication, quoted in “Minister
promises to cover Ukraine with Internet” Ukrainskaya
Pravda, January 18, 2006 (in Russian),
http://www.pravda.com.ua/ru/news/2006/1/18/36834.
htm (last accessed May 2, 2007).
8. See International Telecommunication Union, World
Telecommunication Indicators 2006. For comparison,
Internetworldstat estimates the data at 11.5 percent
for 2006; see Internet World Stats, Usage and
Population Statistics, 2007, http://www.internet
worldstats.com/stats4.htm (last accessed May 2,
2007).
9. International Telecommunication Union, World
Telecommunication Indicators 2006.
10. United Nations Development Programme in Ukraine,
Prosperity Through Poverty Alleviation,
http://www.undp.org.ua/?page=areas&area=2
(accessed May 2, 2007).
11. Law on Telecommunications of November 18, 2003.
The law abolished the provisions of the 1995
Communication Law, including the charges for
incoming calls for all kinds of telephone communications. See the text of the law at http://ilaw.org.ua/
(in Ukrainian).
12. The Director of Ukraine’s Security Service
Konstantyn Boyko pointed out the imminent danger
that Internet may cause to the country, stating:
“Foreign political forces, intelligence departments
and extremist organizations, which are able to direct
resources and endowments of the Internet to harm
our nation,” See “Security service to take totalitarian
control over Internet,” Ukrainskaya Pravda, May 27,
2006 (in Russian), http://www.pravda.com.ua/ru/
news/2006/5/27/41096.htm (last accessed May 2,
2007).
Country Summaries
403