Introduction. The effectiveness of the functioning of telecommunication systems, which belong to the class of complex technical systems, depends on the reliability of its subsystems and elements, as well as the complexity of the relationships between them. The aim of the article is to substantiate a general approach to a comprehensive assessment of the reliability of telecommunication equipment telecommunications network with a reducible structure with the development of a methodology for calculating equipment reliability indicators. Main material. Formalized statement of the problem. The section provides a formalized description of the problem, as well as the limitations and assumptions used in this study. General approach to solving the problem. The general approach to solving the problem is based on the use of the decomposition principle, which allows a phased assessment of the reliability of a telecommunication network at three interconnected levels: the first stage is at the level of individual equipment elements (such typical devices as routers, switches, servers, workers stations, IP-encryption equipment, etc.), in which various types of redundancy can be provided separately or jointly: structural, load, temporary; the second stage – at the telecommunication equipment level of information paths (routes); the third stage is at the telecommunication equipment level of information areas, which are a combination of equipment of various paths. Methodology for solving the problem. A technique has been proposed for a comprehensive reliability assessment of telecommunication equipment of communication networks with a reducible structure, taking into account a combination of factors, some of which are aggressive and lead to a decrease in reliability (failures causing short-term interruptions in operation; steady equipment failures that need to be restored to serviceability of failed devices in a repair body ; insufficient qualification of the attendants), and others – support the normal functioning of the telecommunication equipment in at the given level (using separately or jointly various types of redundancy – structural, temporary, load, which leads to an increase in the efficiency of using redundancy). Example. The given numerical example allows us to identify some new features of the reliability of the operation of the telecommunication equipment telecommunications network due, in particular, to the reliability models not only of steady failures, but also of failures leading to short-term interruptions in operation. Conclusions. A promising area of further research is the justification of ways and methods to reduce the intensity of failures in existing and developing equipment, as well as the development of effective ways to neutralize (reduce) their impact on the functioning of telecommunication equipment telecommunication networks.