December 25, 2008, Moscow, Ryazan. COMSTAR – United TeleSystems (JSC COMSTAR-UTS, LSE: CMST), the leading supplier of integrated telecommunication solutions in Russia and the CIS, announces that the subscriber base of “InterLink” Group (the Group incorporating ZAO “InterSvyaz-Service and ZAO “Inter-TV Media”, both are affiliates of JSC COMSTAR-UTS in Ryazan Region) now exceeds 50,000 users.

The total number of Group customers saw a 14% increase this year, with Internet broadband access number of users being increased by 73% to exceed 4,700. As of today, “InterLink” Group of companies is a leader providing a package of telecom services, local telephone communication, Internet broadband access with Pay-TV, including digital TV in DVB-C standard.

In 2008 the companies held a number of marketing events to substantially enhance Internet access unlimited tariff series, added 5 new TV channels to their list of TV broadcasting with a total of 55 channels.

In 2008 “InterLink” experts accomplished technological procedures to upgrade communication network. Thus, within this year the bit rate of Internet access to external recourses was increased up to 130 Mbit/sec.

“One of the objectives for COMSTAR-UTS to accomplish in 2008 after an acquisition of Ryazan companies was to carry out “InterLink” management system re-structuring," Viktor Koresh, COMSTAR-UTS Regional Development Vice President noticed. “The procedures accomplished allowed to integrate the business processes of Ryazan leading alternative telecom operator in COMSTAR-UTS”.

Igor Basharin, ZAO “InterSvyaz-Service” and ZAO “Inter-TV Media” General Director added, “In 2008 we substantially upgraded and enhanced our communication network with a 5-fold increase of communication channels capacity, making a sort of a technical "forward foundation" for the year 2009 to keep developing our business. The plans of Group envisage subscriber base growth and further network expansion with commercial launch of digital interactive IP TV, being currently operated on a test broadcasting basis.”

“InterLink” Group activities are detailed here: https://www.inter-link.ru/