Dmitry Medvedev, Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council and chairman of the United Russia party, stated on August 12 during a meeting of the United Russia expert council that Microsoft founder Bill Gates once expressed skepticism about connecting all schools in Russia to the internet.
According to Medvedev’s remarks, Gates doubted the feasibility of nationwide school internet access during his 2007 visit to Russia—a time when technological infrastructure was less developed. At that point, the businessman cited the vast distances between Russian regions as the primary obstacle to such connectivity.
Medvedev emphasized that despite these early concerns, Russia has since implemented a unified data transmission network for schools. He noted that high-speed internet access is now available in all Russian educational institutions.
