Our Approach


Our long-term, socially significant initiatives and projects across the Russian Federation form an important part of our work. Rostelecom not only provides quality telecommunications services but also actively contributes to fostering a stable social environment and improving the quality of life across the country.

Taking social and cultural changes into consideration is essential to digital transformation. Along with infrastructure solutions, they allow us to address key challenges of the new digital age.

We rely on factors significant to the international, corporate, and social spheres when executing our new five-year strategy, focused on Rostelecom’s transformation into a leading digital company. This focus allows us to apply the Company’s technology in an optimal way and organise our activities nationwide, employing sustainable development approaches.

Rostelecom’s solutions and digital technology are consistently used to achieve its socially significant programmes. While maintaining an open dialogue with non-governmental organisations, various levels of authority, and educational, medical, and other socially significant institutions, the Company employs advanced solutions to achieve the greatest benefit for society.

Currently, all social and charitable projects of the Company are grouped by areas of integrated programmes — Digital Equality, Health, Care, Cultural Heritage, Sports, and Environment. This approach allows Rostelecom to consistently boost the positive impact from each programme.

 
Over 10,000 media references made to Rostelecom’s social projects and charitable activities in 2018.
 
85 thousand senior citizens trained under the ABC of the Internet programme in 2018.
 
About 142 thousand school students from across Russia have benefited from the Learn the Internet — Manage It! project since its launch.
 
PJSC Rostelecom (including subsidiaries and affiliates) allocated RUB 193,320.18 thousand to charitable purposes in 2018.
CHARITABLE PRIORITIES, %

Rostelecom runs social projects and programmes in line with Russian laws, the Company’s Charter and a number of modern principles. The Company is also committed to international norms and standards. Within our social development projects, combining the strategic interests of the Company, its shareholders, and the interests of the state is integral.

Rostelecom predominantly invests in addressing societal challenges by using its own infrastructure, building and allocating advanced telecommunications equipment, as well as providing communications services. We believe that providing maximum openness and transparency in our social activities is highly important. Rostelecom employs a range of tools when contributing to societal development, including programmes developed both individually and in partnerships, volunteering, charity, sponsorship, and others. We develop social partnerships by joining our efforts with local communities, authorities, non-profit organisations, and Rostelecom employees actively engaged in volunteering programmes. Rostelecom is one of the founders of Autonomous Non-Сommercial Organisation Digital Economy aimed at ensuring interaction between businesses, expert communities, and government authorities when implementing the Digital Economy of the Russian Federation national programme. The programme will run until 2024 and comprises five areas: statutory regulation, education and personnel, cyber security, research, and IT infrastructure.

The Company is committed to providing an easier and more comfortable life for senior citizens. To this end, the Company runs and develops ABC of the Internet — a project to train senior user in basic computer and internet skills. Rostelecom consistently supports educational projects, offering new opportunities and improving existing ones while contributing to early career guidance for young people. We are particularly focused on training highly skilled telecommunications specialists, ensuring information security for younger generation, and bridging the digital divide. Rostelecom actively cooperates with orphanages, paying close attention to educational projects fostering patriotism and contributing to environmental education and preservation of the cultural identity. We consider it critical that our social projects cover all the regions in which we operate and all socially vulnerable groups of people as we ensure digital equality and affordable communication not only in cities, but also in the most remote and sparsely populated towns and villages.

We are committed to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) aimed at economic, social, and environmental matters significant to the global community, both in widespread and focused matters. Rostelecom’s socially significant initiatives and projects contribute considerably to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. We lay a strong focus on these goals when running our social projects and programmes, particularly Goal 4: Quality Education; Goal 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure; and Goal 10: Reduced Inequalities. Rostelecom’s activities in this area also contribute to Goal 1: No Poverty; Goal 2: Zero Hunger; and Goal 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth.

 
As part of the annual Best Social Projects in Russia programme, Rostelecom’s Growth — Online Education for Children in Orphanages was recognised as the best project supporting vulnerable groups in 2018. Our partner in the project is Autonomous Non-Сommercial Organisation ROST with whom we provided distance learning to about 500 children in orphanages. All the students successfully passed their final exams and later enrolled at higher education institutions and specialised secondary schools. This initiative was made possible through the advanced online education technology widely used in our programmes.
«Rostelecom places a great emphasis on its social responsibility programmes. We believe that the level of societal progress can be judged primarily by the state of the least advantaged people — those who fall through the cracks of the system. We also believe that the best strategy moving forward involves projects aiming to improve the future and creating high-quality conditions that prepare younger generations to begin their careers. In today’s complex and fast-paced environment, the smartest investments for development and the future are in education.»

Juliana Sokolenko, Deputy Director of Rostelecom’s External Communications Department

Rostelecom’s contribution to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals
Programmes 4 8 9 10 11 16 17
ABC of the Internet
Growth
IT Growth
Learn the Internet — Manage It!
Internet for Social Infrastructure Facilities
Computerisation of Orphanages
Distance Learning for Disabled Children
Social Impact Award supporting social enterpise
Proektoria
Quantorium
Safe Internet
Classroom Internet
Sirius
Rostelecom Lyceum
Useful Internet
Mashuk
Run and Help
Exciting Readings
Want to Be!
Illustrated Books for Little Blind Children
House of Veronica
KnowTeach
Believe in Yourself
Midday
I Can Help
Job Factory
Let’s Help Together
Become a Santa
Donorship