MOSCOW, February 12 (RAPSI) – A bill banning Russian telecom providers from using foreign equipment was submitted to the State Duma on Tuesday, Digit.ru writes.

According to the bill, Russian telecom providers must plan their acquisitions so as to give Russian products priority over foreign products or equipment. However, foreign equipment can be used in Russian telecom systems if there are no Russian analogues.

An explanatory note to the bill says that over 90% of information and telecom network equipment used in Russia is foreign-made. The bill’s authors write that this could result in the loss of control of national information and telecom systems, which could seriously affect the national economy, weaken national defenses to a critically dangerous level, and otherwise seriously infringe on Russia’s national interests.