Modern Telecommunication Operators: a Study from the Point of View of the System Economic Theory

The article considers the organization of telecommunications as an economic system through the analysis of activity and prospects for further development of the Russian telecommunications market being one of rapidly developing industries. Telecommunication operators are analyzed from the perspective of the theory of economic systems, which is actively developing at present. The activity of the telecommunication operator is considered from the perspective of its compliance with four types of social and economic systems, i.e. project, process, environmental, and object. The findings show that at the present stage of development, the telecommunication operator does not relate to the environmental economic system. It combines the features of all the four types of economic systems, thus acting as a polysystem. The main form of the operator’s functioning is a hybrid business model (hybrid mobile network operator), when services are rendered to a subscriber by both the Telecom operator and its competitor. Considering an operator as a polysystem, it is necessary to adjust theoretical recommendations, given the specifics of its activity, including the strategic planning area.