April 7 th is the birthday of Runet, as 30 years ago. ru, the Latin alphabet Internet country code top-level domain, was officially registered for Russia to lay the cornerstone of Runet; today, the Russian segment of the Internet has become indispensable in a present-day megacity.
On this memorable date, analysts from the Moscow Department of Information Technologies tell how often Muscovites use the Internet and what they choose to do online.
“The percentage of residents who are accustomed to surfing online is growing every year. In 2020, 89 per cent of Muscovites used the Internet every day, while today the figure is already 97 per cent. Young people perceive uninterrupted access to the fast Internet services as the norm; residents of the older generation are actively mastering cutting-edge technology, too. For example, in a recent survey, 85 per cent of local residents over 66 years of age responded that they used Internet websites on a daily basis. DLAnd among residents aged 18 to 35 years, there was no one who did not go online at least once a day,” says Ivan Buturlin, Head of the Analytics Department, Moscow Department of Information Technologies.
Muscovites are among the most advanced users in the world, and they are accustomed to good user-friendly online tools. Understanding their interest and passion for modern technologies, the municipality continues to develop a digital ecosystem with a vast array of solutions.
Over the past 30 years, the Internet has evolved to totally change the life in Moscow as queues and paper document piles, dialing the dispatcher service to call a taxi, buying tickets at the box office, obstructed communication on New Year’s Eve, etc. are bygone, indeed. Today, almost any daily routine issue can be solved online, > 420 digital solutions are available as one stop-shop on mos.ru. and thanks to fast mobile Internet services covering 99.7 per cent of the city’s area, residents and tourists can always stay in touch with their family members and friends or make use of online tools on their smartphones at any convenient time.
More than 95 per cent of Muscovites take advantage of multiple technologies, websites and apps every day; only 3 per cent can do without gadgets at all. The demand for municipal digital solutions is growing every year. In 2011, as the first e-services were becoming available in Moscow, they were accessed only 57,000 times, whereas today residents use the mos.ru portal more than two million times every day. More than 15.9 million people already trust Moscow’s digital ecosystem to address daily routine issues as they employ the convenient online format to view electronic medical records, check their children’s academic achievements and school schedules, make an appointment with a doctor, submit meter readings, or pay bills.
Muscovites actively use other digital opportunities that are available to them thanks to the Internet; for example, 91 per cent of citizens use instant messengers, 84 per cent engage in Internet banking, and 85 per cent order goods and services online via smartphones or desktop computers.
“Muscovites not only actively use existing tools and services, but also support the development of technology in the city. In our recent survey, 82 per cent of residents noted that they would like to have more digital solutions. And over half of Muscovites are even ready to test them,” added Ivan Buturlin.
As technology and online tools are spreading wider and wider, the demand for advanced gadgets is growing, too. So, many residents can no longer imagine their lives without smartphones, tablets, and PCs, while usual household devices, such as vacuum cleaners or TVs, are getting smarter. Today, 96 per cent of Muscovites use smartphones, 71 per cent own smart TVs, and 72 per cent rely on Wi-Fi routers in everyday life. More information about which digital devices are used by Muscovites can be found in a recent survey run by the Moscow Department of Information Technology.
The use of digital technologies and artificial intelligence aimed at improving the quality of life follows the Digital Economy national program and the Digital Public Administration regional project in Moscow.
Tyler Fields is your internet guru, delving into the latest trends, developments, and issues shaping the online world. With a focus on internet culture, cybersecurity, and emerging technologies, Tyler keeps readers informed about the dynamic landscape of the internet and its impact on our digital lives.
