September 30, 2010, Moscow: COMSTAR – United TeleSystems (COMSTAR-UTS, LSE: CMST), a leading provider of integrated telecom solutions in Russia and the CIS, announces an increase in a number of COMSTAR-FON hot spots up to 20,000. Thus, COMSTAR-FON has increased 2-fold over the last month and 4-fold since the beginning of 2010.

The network unites users of the Wi-Fi international community – FON, who reside or stay in Moscow, and represents a Russian segment of FON. Total number of globally registered FON users exceeds 2 million; they are united following a principle of a social network, where all members use free-of-charge Internet access and enjoy an opportunity of getting connected via each other’s hot spots.

“An ever-increasing number of COMSTAR-FON subscribers confirms that we have chosen a right business model and promotion strategy. The service is getting increasingly popular both in Russia and all over the world. In the near term, we are planning to launch the guest Internet access through COMSTAR-FON in Moscow for users who are not registered in the network. Besides, we count on a significant expansion of the subscriber base with MGTS users who will be able to access the service using Wi-Fi modems with an embedded FON feature,” Maxim Chernov, COMSTAR-UTS Marketing Director, says.

“Today, COMSTAR-FON is the capital’s largest network, which evidently becomes our considerable competitive advantage. Exponential growth of our subscriber base is the best proof of subscribers’ loyalty towards the service offered,” Evgeny Koryagin, Head of FON Wireless Russia, notes.

The project of COMSTAR-FON deployment was launched some two years ago based on STREAM, Moscow Internet service provider in co-operation with FON Wireless Limited, a Spanish company. To join the global social community of FON Internet users and arrange an access point in Moscow, you shall lease one of the devices below from STREAM or MTS sales outlets: Fonera Stone Wi-Fi router, ZTE ZXV10 W300 ADSL modem with FON feature or MTS universal router with FON feature. Then, you shall register the device at www.fon.com. When registered, you will be able to use more than 2 million active FON hot spots all over the world (www.maps.fon.com). For details on the COMSTAR-FON service and a map of active hot spots, please visit www.fon.comstar.ru.