November 6, 2008, Moscow, Tyumen. COMSTAR – United TeleSystems (OAO COMSTAR-UTS, LSE: CMST), the largest integrated telecom services operator in Russia and the CIS announced that OAO “Tyumenneftegazsvyaz” (TNGS), a subsidiary of OAO COMSTAR-UTS in Uralsky Federal District has accomplished a roll-out and commissioned for test operation a backbone microwave relay link (MWRL) in Khanty-Mansi Autonomous District (KHMD) of Tyumen Region.

Building of backbone MWRL started in 2006 and accomplished in accordance with the schedule.

The new high-rate transport backbone network of COMSTAR-UTS based on the equipment produced by NEC has an overall length of nearly 1300 km linking the following key habitation areas of KHMD by means of reliable radio channel links: Nyagan, Khanty-Mansiysk, Nefteyugansk, Surgut, Pyt-Yakh, Raduzhny, and Nizhnevartovsk. It is designed to transfer voice traffic and other types of data at a rate of up to 155 Mbit/sec. Microwave relay links are multi-purpose allowing to provide a complete range of modern telecommunication services, such as digital phone, broadband Internet access, electronic document management, and video conference, etc.

According to General Director of OAO “Tyumenneftegaz”, Vladimir Alaev, “The perspective of microwave relay systems use for roll-out of territory distributed communication networks is testified by the growth of their wide usage for the arrangement of distant communication links, especially in hard-access areas". Commissioning of backbone MWRL shall enable COMSTAR-UTS to enlarge the scope and enhance the quality of intra-zone communication services provided at the territory of KMAD, to reduce the costs of channel lease, which in combination ensures business effectiveness growth and company revenue increase. Besides, with the help of such communication link it becomes possible for us to be more active in provision of broadband Internet access highly demanded in the Region nowadays”.

As it was clarified by Aleksey Kataev, Technical Director of TNGS, “the choice of backbone network architecture is due to the complexity of fiber-optic cable layout in such regions where there is either no or scarce communication infrastructure due to hard geographic or climatic conditions. With the help of MWRL it becomes possible to organize high-quality digital multi-channel link in marshy, mountain permafrost areas, etc. In this case the use of such technology has a number of advantages compared with wire-line systems: it is relative simplicity of link building, prompt roll-out of network with low cost, easy crossing of water obstacles and transportation highways, as well as high operational cost-effectiveness with prompt solution for the issues of future development and restructuring of the network with minimum additional investments".

Now, that the last section has been commissioned, COMSTAR-UTS backbone network in Tyumen Region is completely ready for commercial operation.