April 15, 2009, Moscow, Smolensk: COMSTAR – United TeleSystems (COMSTAR-UTS, LSE: CMST), the leading provider of integrated telecommunication solutions in Russia and the CIS, announces that pay TV subscriber base of STREAM-TV (member of COMSTAR-UTS) in Smolensk has exceeded 15,000. Over 12,000 of these are cable TV subscribers and the rest are multicast users.

Such an achievement is the result of network upgrade made by STREAM-TV Smolensk in 2008. New fiber optic backbone nodes have significantly increased the quality of TV signal, which in its turn provided the subscriber base growth.

Another factor that has enhanced the user experience is the launch of an advanced broadcast head-end. State-of-the-art antennas of 3.1m in diameter provide a strong signal in any weather conditions. The head-end is located in the STREAM-TV’s office, enabling a continuous monitoring of the signal quality and quick response in case of any trouble.

Alexei Kulikov, Director of STREAM-TV Smolensk, notes: "We’ve taken the leading positions on the cable TV market in the city as we always focus on our subscriber needs. We want to enrich the life of people and make it more interesting and comfortable. TV is one of the major sources of information and home entertainment, so high-quality access to a wide range of Russian and foreign channels is important as never before."

In 2009 STREAM-TV Smolensk is going to further expand its subscriber base by continuously upgrading the network, improving the user experience and increasing the number of broadcasted channels from 22 up to 50.