January 11, 2010, Moscow, Saint-Petersburg. COMSTAR – United TeleSystems (COMSTAR-UTS, LSE: CMST), the leading provider of integrated telecommunication services in Russia and the CIS, announces that it has arranged communication to demonstrate functions of the All-Russian integrated information and warning system used in crowded areas (OKSION) to Dmitry Medvedev, Russian President, in Saint-Petersburg underground.

Under the project, COMSTAR-UTS Saint-Petersburg has provided a turn-key solution to arrange a 10 Mbps data channel in Saint-Petersburg. This solution enables prompt and high-quality provision of the service.

COMSTAR-UTS regularly provides communication channels in the context of its co-operation with OKSION. In particular, works promptly performed by COMSTAR-UTS have become a guarantee of high-level informational support to the All-Russian Meeting of Chairmen of the Committee for Emergencies – deputy governors of the Russian Federation constituents held in Kursk in September 2009. Besides, prompt and high-quality performance of works enabled arrangement of the communication channel to inform dwellers of Saint-Petersburg in the emergency caused by the crash of the Nevsky Express in November 2009.

“We have been co-operating with the OKSION Information Center for a long time now. Being aware of the importance of the tasks given to the OKSION system, COMSTAR provides regular telecommunication support in the context of activities performed by this public institution. Recognition of our work by the Ministry of Emergencies is an acknowledgment of the highest competence level of COMSTAR employees as well as reliability and quality of our communication systems,” Alexander Kirillov, COMSTAR-UTS Technology Vice President, says.

The All-Russian integrated information and warning system used in crowded areas (OKSION) is being created as a part of the Federal Purpose-Oriented Program “Reduction of Risks and Mitigation of Consequences of Natural and Man-Made Emergencies in the Russian Federation till 2010”.

Administration of the OKSION Information Center being a federal information center of the All-Russian integrated information and warning system used in crowded areas has extended thanks to COMSTAR-UTS for systematic and high-quality provision of communication services aimed at continuous operability assurance of OKSION elements. According to a letter of the Information Center administration, “OKSION Public Institution sets a high value on relations of co-operation and mutual understanding and looks forward to their development in the future.”