RELCOM
Encyclopedia
RELCOM or Relcom an acronym for "RELiable COMmunications" is a computer network
in Russia
. It was launched in the Soviet Union
on August 1, 1990 in the Kurchatov Institute
in collaboration with DEMOS
co-operative (although the engineering team at DEMOS
at the time consisted mostly of Kurchatov Institute employees, some key members (Mikhail Davidov, Vadim Antonov, Dmitry Volodin) in the RELCOM team were never employed by Kurchatov Institute).
It became one of the very first Russian computer networks (and the first commercial internet service provider
in the USSR) and its development led to emerging of the Runet
. Initially it was purely e-mail
network based on the UUCP
protocol.
During the Soviet coup attempt of 1991
the Relcom network was used to spread news about the event worldwide while the coup perpetrators were trying to suppress mass media activity through the KGB
.
Now it is managed by Relcom Business Network Ltd., a Russian ISP.
Computer network
A computer network, often simply referred to as a network, is a collection of hardware components and computers interconnected by communication channels that allow sharing of resources and information....
in Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
. It was launched in the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
on August 1, 1990 in the Kurchatov Institute
Kurchatov Institute
The Kurchatov Institute is Russia's leading research and development institution in the field of nuclear energy. In the Soviet Union it was known as I. V. Kurchatov Institute of Atomic Energy , abbreviated KIAE . It is named after Igor Kurchatov....
in collaboration with DEMOS
DEMOS
DEMOS was a Unix-like operating system developed in the Soviet Union...
co-operative (although the engineering team at DEMOS
DEMOS
DEMOS was a Unix-like operating system developed in the Soviet Union...
at the time consisted mostly of Kurchatov Institute employees, some key members (Mikhail Davidov, Vadim Antonov, Dmitry Volodin) in the RELCOM team were never employed by Kurchatov Institute).
It became one of the very first Russian computer networks (and the first commercial internet service provider
Internet service provider
An Internet service provider is a company that provides access to the Internet. Access ISPs directly connect customers to the Internet using copper wires, wireless or fiber-optic connections. Hosting ISPs lease server space for smaller businesses and host other people servers...
in the USSR) and its development led to emerging of the Runet
Runet
Currently Internet access in Russia is available to businesses and home users in various forms, including dial-up, cable, DSL, FTTH, mobile, wireless and satellite...
. Initially it was purely e-mail
E-mail
Electronic mail, commonly known as email or e-mail, is a method of exchanging digital messages from an author to one or more recipients. Modern email operates across the Internet or other computer networks. Some early email systems required that the author and the recipient both be online at the...
network based on the UUCP
UUCP
UUCP is an abbreviation for Unix-to-Unix Copy. The term generally refers to a suite of computer programs and protocols allowing remote execution of commands and transfer of files, email and netnews between computers. Specifically, a command named uucp is one of the programs in the suite; it...
protocol.
During the Soviet coup attempt of 1991
Soviet coup attempt of 1991
The 1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt , also known as the August Putsch or August Coup , was an attempt by a group of members of the Soviet Union's government to take control of the country from Soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev...
the Relcom network was used to spread news about the event worldwide while the coup perpetrators were trying to suppress mass media activity through the KGB
KGB
The KGB was the commonly used acronym for the . It was the national security agency of the Soviet Union from 1954 until 1991, and was the premier internal security, intelligence, and secret police organization during that time.The State Security Agency of the Republic of Belarus currently uses the...
.
Now it is managed by Relcom Business Network Ltd., a Russian ISP.