COMSTAR, TELECOM ITALIA SPARKLE AGREE TO PROVIDE CONNECTIVITY BETWEEN LONG-DISTANCE COMMUNICATION NETWORKS

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
29.05.2009 12:23 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ United TeleSystems (COMSTAR-UTS, LSE: CMST), the
leading provider of integrated telecommunication services in Russia and
the CIS, and Telecom Italia Sparkle S.p.A., one of the major telecom
operators in Europe, a member of Telecom Italia Group, announced
today a contract to provide connectivity between their long-distance
communication networks and deliver international voice transit service.

The contract includes organization, technical and economic terms
and conditions regarding the mutual transit of international voice
traffic. Under the established inter-network operation, COMSTAR-UTS
and Telecom Italia Sparkle provide a virtual transit service to
each other to enable operators to route specific volumes of their
international outcoming voice traffic for various routes. Transmission
of voice traffic for direct dial of international dialing number (IDD)
directed from one operator to another is also subject to the contract.

Each of the companies independently organizes transport channels and
supports technical means necessary to arrange a connection up to the
equipment owned by them and installed in Ankotel communications house
(Frankfurt, Germany). COMSTAR-UTS provide internal wiring and crossing
of communication lines between the terminal equipment in transit
node of network connectivity. Under the contract, the operators
will exchange traffic volume forecasts calculated as the amount of
minutes per month for each of the destination points. This will enable
appropriate fund allocation necessary to ensure efficient interaction
between networks of both operators which will result in uniform traffic
distribution and high quality long-distance communication services.

Sergey Pridantsev, President of COMSTAR-UTS, says, "In 2008 we promptly
build and launched a long-distance communication network and started
to deliver services to our subscribers. However, to further develop
international/long-distance communications it is necessary to boost
the capacity of backbones and update IP transport system. To solve
this strategic task, we’ve signed a traffic transit contract with one
of the largest telecom operators in Europe, Telecom Italia Sparkle,
which transports more than a half of the whole international transit
traffic in the Mediterranean region. Such partnership is very important
for us."

Dr. Stefano Mazzitelli, CEO of Telecom Italia Sparkle, says,
"Our partnership under this project with one of the major Russian
operators, COMSTAR-UTS, opens for us opportunities for cooperation in
various telecom sectors. We expect that the contract for providing
connectivity between our telecom networks will enable us to deliver
high quality services and monitor traffic transmission."