From 28 February to 4 March, before and during the election of the President of the Russian Federation, OJSC North West Telecom provided an uninterrupted telecommunication service to the 11 electoral commissions of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation, 238 territorial electoral commissions and over 8300 local electoral commissions in the North West Federal District.

All the territorial and local electoral commissions were provided with telephone communications. In accordance with the concluded agreements, OJSC North West Telecom provided telephone connections at the electoral commission premises and polling stations.

The telecommunication channels and equipment required for the operation of the Election State Automated System (SAS Election) worked without any problems before and during the election in the area OJSC North West Telecom was responsible for.

In all the regions serviced by the Company, its experts ensured the stand-by equipment and the emergency power supply equipment were in good working order in the period between 28 February and 4 March 2008. The Company also ensured that before and during the election the emergency repair teams and transport were on a 24 hour duty and that applications and complaints from the electoral commissions of different levels were processed round-the-clock.

In the course of the election on 2 March 2008 there were no indications of an improper functioning of the SAS Election in the areas serviced by OJSC North West Telecom. Telephone communication   worked fine as well. No applications or complaints were received from the electoral commissions of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation or from the territorial electoral commissions. The applications from local electoral commissions were being dealt with immediately.

"OJSC North West Telecom always provides technical support to elections at both federal and regional level," noted V.A. Akulich, General Director of OJSC North West Telecom . "Not so long ago - only in December last year - we ensured the functioning of telecommunications during   the State Duma election. The uninterrupted work of telecommunications during the presidential election is another major task that was successfully performed by our Company. All the subdivisions of OJSC North West Telecom that were engaged in the event did an excellent job, having provided reliable telecommunications in the North West of Russia."