Chechnya to restore limited wireless communications

MOSCOW—The Russian Security Council allowed the rebel Republic of Chechnya to restore wireless communications to a limited extent. The military fears that remaining armed Chechen separatists may use mobile communications for subversive operations, so the council decided to provide mobile handsets only to a limited number of organizations rather than individuals.
Deputy Communications Minister Eduard Ostrovsky said a GSM network would operate only in the Chechen capital of Grozny during the first stage. “Only legal entities will be able to subscribe, if they have a special permission,” he said, adding that the number of such companies will be limited by a hundred.
“Such restrictions are introduced because the militants may try and use cellular communications for criminal purposes,” Ostrovsky explained.