As part of the Norwecom-2007 exhibition, the Second Open Workmanship Contest of communication cable installers for Russian companies was held in St. Petersburg on February 13 through 15, 2007. The contest was arranged at the A. S. Popov Central Museum of Communications.

Participants to the contest were cablemen of Russia’ largest telecommunication companies and construction companies specializing in communication facilities, among them Lentelefonstroy OJSC, NWT OJSC, Volgatelecom OJSC, Dalsviaz OJSC, Sibirtelecom OJSC, SMU-Petrosviaz CJSC, Sviazstroy-3 OJSC, Metrocom CJSC, and the Communications Board of the Oktyabrskaya Railroad of Russian Railroads OJSC.

North-West Telecom OJSC was represented at the contest by professional specialists from the Company’s subsidiaries in St. Petersburg, Leningrad Oblast, Archangel, and Kaliningrad.

The contest had two nominations, “Fiber Optic Cable Installation” and “Copper Wire Communication Cable Installation”. The contestants were evaluated by their results in fulfilling the practical and theoretical tasks of the contest. The tasks required performance of all basic process steps, and the contestants were allowed to use various technologies and certified materials and accessories.

The panel and experts inspected their work and summed up the contest.

The winners were:

“Fiber Optic Cable Installation” nomination:

1st prize: Lentelefonstroy OJSC

2nd prize: St. Petersburg subsidiary of NWT OJSC: Alexey N. Pechischev and Alexander N. Kiselev

3rd prize: Lentelefonstroy OJSC

4th prize: Leningrad Oblast subsidiary of NWT OJSC: Sergey N. Malyshev and Nikolai Viktorovich Gorodchanin

“Copper Wire Communication Cable Installation” nomination:

1st prize: Sibirtelecom OJSC

2nd prize: St. Petersburg subsidiary of NWT OJSC: Alexander N. Lukin

3rd prize: Archangel subsidiary of NWT OJSC: Evgeny D. Vtorov

Diplomas, Scandinavian tours, and valuable gifts were awarded to the winner teams. All contestants received souvenirs, contestant certificates, and gifts from sponsors.

North-West Telecom OJSC regularly arranges regional workmanship contests in its subsidiaries, and participates in interregional and international competitions. The Company’s Management believes that professional skill contests are an instrument to make worker occupations more prestigious, to spread advanced work techniques and methods, to improve personnel’s skills, and to develop their creative potential.

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The traditions of workmanship contests for cable communication line installers have existed in this country for decades. The Second Open Workmanship Contest of cable installers continued the tradition initiated in 2005 with the First Open Workmanship Contest that was also held as part of the Norwecom Exhibition. That was the first time when cablemen of leading telecommunication companies from all parts of Russia participated in such a contest.