No more free Wi-Fi in Belarus after July 1?

Mark Bernshtein, an individual entrepreneur in IT business, thinks the Belarusians can forget about free wireless Internet access from July 1.

The businessman expressed his thoughts about Lukashenka’s decree #60 of February 1, 2010, “On Measures to Improve the Use of the National Segment of the Internet” at the Business and Law round table conference in Minsk on June 2. The event was organized by the Association of Small and Medium-Sized Business.

Bernshtein thinks owners of facilities offering their clients free Wi-Fi Internet access will hardly record all data concerning Internet connection time and perform other actions provided for by the decree, BelaPAN reports.

According to the specialist, this can affect the star level of Belarusian hotels, which must have free wireless Internet access. In results, the hotel and tourist business will face problems, Mark Bernshtein says.

According to Mark Bernshtein, Belarusian sales companies will have to move their websites to Belarusian web hosts if they were hosted by foreign hosting companies. “These are not only web pages, but also powerful software complexes hosted by European and American companies,” the businessman said. Besides, advertizing will be allowed only in the Belarusian segment of the Internet that will create problems for exporters, mark Bernshtein explains.