On February 2, 2005, a meeting between the Head official of the Administration of Arkhangelsk oblast N. Kiselev and the Chief executive officer of North-West Telecom JSC V.?. Akulich. was held in Arkhangelsk. In the course of the meeting, the Agreement on mutual cooperation between the Administration of Arkhangelsk oblast and North-West Telecom JSC has signed. Interaction within the framework of the Agreement will allow continuing the work aimed to address the objectives of telephone installation in the difficult-for-access northern districts and rural locality of the region. The subject of this Agreement is cooperation of the Parties in the issues of creating and developing the telecommunication networks of the region and meeting to the maximum the demand for the communication services.

The following most important directions of cooperation between the Administration of Arkhangelsk oblast and the NWT JSC were recognized:

• development and realization of the socially significant programmes of communication development in the region;
• integration of telecommunication networks of Arkhangelsk oblast into a single information and telecommunication space of Russia using advanced technologies and introducing new communication services;
• creation of a single telecommunication network of the management bodies of Arkhangelsk oblast in the framework of the Federal Target Program “Electronic Russia”;
• satisfaction of applications of disabled veterans and participants of the World War II for installation of telephone sets;
• prevention and clearance of criminal infringements on the communication facilities and lines located in the territory of Arkhangelsk oblast.

As noted by the Head official of the Administration of Arkhangelsk oblast N. Kiselev, implementation of the projects envisaged by the Agreement “will contribute to the development of modern communication, which will allow us not only to preserve but also to develop the scientific and industrial potential of Arkhangelsk oblast and maintain the necessary for us succession of generations”.       

This Agreement will strengthen the existing experience of cooperation between the Administration of Arkhangelsk oblast and the branch Artelecom of NWT JSC . Due to the joint efforts, in 2001 the communication network of the Kholmogorsky district was reconstructed, in 2002 the problem of communication provision of the Solovetsky district was resolved using a satellite communication system and a tower with a communication centre in Kargopol was built. In 2003, the antenna support-towers were built in Yarensk, Onega and Verkhnyaya Toima. In 2004, similar facilities were constructed in Lensky, Pinezhsky and Mezensky districts, in the Ustyansky district a fiber-optic communication line was built on the Oktyabrsky-Kostylevo segment and a number of other projects were implemented.

“The today’s meeting confirmed the identity of intentions of the administration of the oblast and North-West Telecom JSC in the sphere of communication development in the region. On our side we guarantee that no “white spots” will remain in the nearest years on the map of telecommunications of Arkhangelsk oblast’”, - assured the NWT CEO V.?. Akulich.

In 2004, the North-West Telecom JSC invested RUR 307 million to the development and reconstruction of the telecommunication networks of Arkhangelsk oblast.