November 13, 2008, Moscow. COMSTAR – United TeleSystems (COMSTAR-UTS, LSE: CMST), the leading supplier of integrated telecommunication solutions in Russia and the CIS announced of the accomplished building of multi-service data network based on NGN solutions (Next Generation Network) for OOO COMSTAR-Ukraine, a subsidiary of COMSTAR-UTS in the Ukraine.

Network building was carried out in co-operation with "Quazar-Micro" (beginning 2009 – under CITRONIX Information Technologies brand), one of the leading system integrators operating in Eastern Europe and the CIS countries, and "AMT-GROUP" company, the leading Russian system integrator.

Within the project framework a transportation multi-service network was built to enable COMSTAR-Ukraine enlarge the range of services provided for their customers. In particular, a backbone Kiev-Odessa network is built, with two metro networks in these cities. On this basis COMSTAR-Ukraine will be able to provide a Triple Play service package for the subscribers of Kiev and Odessa, as well as the services for corporative customers regarding arrangement of virtual private networks, IP telephony, and provision of Internet broadband access. The project was accomplished within 7 months.

Presently, commercial operation of backbone network is underway and gradual switching of the subscribers and traffic to new metro networks has begun. Even today COMSTAR-Ukraine connects individual users in Odessa using FTTH technology (Fiber-to-the-Home) providing broadband Internet access services and IP TV. Soon the same option will be available for the subscribers in Kiev.

Transportation network equipment (Cisco network kernel and metro network level routers) is presently deployed at the service stations in Kiev and Odessa. The new network may also be the basis for WiMax network deployment to provide wireless broadband Internet access service.

“Transportation telecom network is a basis for further growth of communications operator planning to render the services throughout the whole country. Presence of such a network allows not only to widen the range of services provided and enhance communication quality with data exchange performance, it enables us to lower the cost of traffic exchange," Aleksandr Kirillov, OAO COMSTAR-UTS Technology Vice President noticed. “Backbone multi-service NGN network is a basis for building of the common telecom COMSTAR network in the Ukraine which in the future will connect all the cities featuring the Company presence," Aleksandr Kirillov added.