In 2004, the proceeds North-West Telecom branch Petersburg Telephone Network increase on 13.6 % to make RUR 6,837,396,000.

The overall capital investment of OJSC North-West Telecom in the development of St. Petersburg’s communication facilities exceeded RUR 1.5 billion in 2004. According to the Company investment program, 33 communication facilities were completed and started up in 2004, for a total capacity of 136,462 numbers. Of these, 64,350 numbers were allocated to replace existing numbers, and 72,112, for new customers.

The installed capacity of the branch Petersburg Telephone Network reached 2,157,604 numbers. Of these, the electronic exchanges had 863,065 (40%), coordinate exchanges, 1,155,927 (53.5%), and step-by-step decadic exchanges, 138,612 (6.4%). The utilized capacity was 1,899,525 (88%) as of the end of 2004. In 2005, about 60,000 telephones are intended for installation by PTN. 

To celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War, the branch PTN intends to install, within March 31, 2005, telephones for WW2 invalids, WW2 veterans, blockade survivors, and other categories of citizens entitled to preferential telephone installation, whose applications are filed at the branch PTN. In 2004, 658 telephones were installed for these categories of citizens.

During the year 2004, N. W. Telecom branch PTN outlined and adopted the basic engineering philosophy of further network building. The core position in the building structure of the switched telephone network of the city and its nearest suburbs will be filled by 17 Reference Exchanges (REx), 4 of which will be located in suburbs. The exchanges’ capacity is targeted at 60,000 to 150,000 numbers, to make 100,000 number per exchange on the average. The total predicted capacity of the REx’s will be at least 1,670,000 numbers. The REx capacity is intended to be distributed by direct connection to the REx and via subscriber access devices. However, the priority will be given to capacity distribution using Subscriber Access equipment (the expected distribution capacity using SA will exceed 1,200,000 numbers).      

Currently, the Program of Telecommunication Services for St. Petersburg Residents in 2004-2007 is being finalized. The expected costs of its implementation exceed RUR 4 billion. The list of key efforts includes retrofitting of several exchanges, laying of additional trunk and distribution cable communication lines, broad application of subscriber access and subscriber multiplexing, and use of different types of radio access equipment. Implementation of this Program will require large spending, as the task is not installation of numerous telephones at few addresses, but rather setting up communication with separated, remote, and often low-populated communities and residential houses. For this purpose, the investment plans for 2005 provide for allocation of additional RUR 300 million apart from the scheduled investment.