Another selling point is the absence of the red tape usually involved in plugging in to Italy's telephone system, whether fixed or cellular.

ECONOMIST: Keeping in touch

The system would be modeled on a method used by cellular telephone service providers to warn each other about people who have a poor record of paying their bills.

CNN: Next wave of attacks against spammers underway

Svyazinvest's bosses will therefore have power over almost all of Russia's communications system (in many regions, the local telephone firms also hold the first cellular-telephone licences).

ECONOMIST: Russian privatisation