Six telephone exchanges with the following prefixes will be upgraded: 282, 283, 285, 286, 287, and 289. Their subscribers are already receiving written notices concerning the switchover to new digital equipment. In addition, five days prior to the switchover an automatic messenger will notify the client over the phone.

"We are gradually speeding up the upgrade, which will allow completely modernizing the network within the next several years. Digital exchanges do not only offer a better communications quality and reliability, but also a lot of other features such as capacity increase and the introduction of new services," - said MGTS general director Mikhail Smirnov.

He also pointed out that during the upgrade about 16 000 subscribers will get individual lines instead of paired lines.

The large-scale MGTS network upgrade began in December 2003 with deployment of the four analog exchanges (40 000 lines) on Schepkina street. To complete the upgrade, about 80 % of switching equipment will have to be replaced.

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PJSC Moscow City Telephone Network is one of the biggest not only in Russia, but among the local wire telecommunications companies in Europe too. The Company's continual priority task is to provide quality telephone communication accessible to the millions of the Russia's capital-city inhabitants. The MGTS personnel of 20 000 persons supply services to about 4.2 million subscribers. The telephone density in Moscow conforms to the European standards - over 50 MGTS telephones per 100 metropolitan residents. There are about 600 MGTS telephone exchanges in operation, and their number increases year by. There are presently 18 000 pay stations available at the Company's public payphone network. To date, the MGTS share amounts to 80% in the Moscow fixed telecommunications market. The dynamic development of the Company is noted for its stable economic situation, prescheduled on-going income growth rate, and for the amount of provided services on the upgrade. The Central Office of PJSC MGTS is located in Moscow at 12, bdg. 3, Petrovskiy Boulevard, Moscow, Russia. The Company's Internet address is www.mgts.ru.

For further details, please approach the Department of Information and Public Relations - PJSC MGTS.
Tel: +7 (095) 950 0623, fax: +7 (095) 950 0622,
E-mail: pressa@mgts.ru