▁was ▁launched ▁in ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Union ▁on ▁August ▁ 1 , ▁ 1 9 9 0 ▁in ▁the ▁K urch at ov ▁Institute ▁in ▁collaboration ▁with ▁DE M OS ▁co - oper ative ▁( although ▁the ▁engineering ▁team ▁at ▁DE M OS ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁consisted ▁mostly ▁of ▁K urch at ov ▁Institute ▁employees , ▁some ▁key ▁members ▁( M ikh ail ▁David ov , ▁V ad im ▁Anton ov , ▁D mit ry ▁Vol od in ) ▁in ▁the ▁RE L COM ▁team ▁were ▁never ▁employed ▁by ▁K urch at ov ▁Institute ). ▁ ▁It ▁became ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁very ▁first ▁Russian ▁computer ▁networks ▁( and ▁the ▁first ▁commercial ▁internet ▁service ▁provider ▁in ▁the ▁USS R ) ▁and ▁its ▁development ▁led ▁to ▁the ▁emer gence ▁of ▁the ▁Run et . ▁Initial ly ▁it ▁was ▁purely ▁e - mail ▁network ▁based ▁on ▁the ▁U U CP ▁protocol . ▁▁ ▁During ▁the ▁Soviet ▁coup ▁attempt ▁of ▁ 1 9 9 1 ▁the ▁Rel com ▁network ▁was ▁used ▁to ▁spread ▁news ▁about ▁the ▁event ▁world wide ▁while ▁the ▁coup ▁perpet rat ors ▁were ▁trying ▁to ▁suppress ▁mass ▁media ▁activity ▁through ▁the ▁K GB . ▁ ▁Now ▁it ▁is ▁managed ▁by ▁Rel com ▁Business ▁Network ▁Ltd ., ▁a ▁Russian ▁I SP . ▁ ▁See ▁also ▁ ▁K rem v ax ▁ ▁K O I 8 - R ▁ ▁References ▁ ▁Further ▁reading ▁ ▁" W ide - Area ▁Coll abor ation ." ▁( Arch ive ) ▁ ▁External ▁links ▁Rel com ▁website ▁▁ ▁Category : Comput