OREANDA-NEWS. July 16, 2007. OJSC CenterTelecom (RTS: ESMO, ESMOP; MICEX: CTLK, CTLKP; U.S. OTC: CRMUY), the leading provider of fixed-line telecommunications services in the Central Federal District of Russia, has completed its contribution to the top-priority national education project, aimed at providing Internet access to schools of the region.
 
In 2006-2007 specialists from Kaluga branch of CenterTelecom provided 128 Kbit/s (or higher) broadband Internet access to 426 schools of the Kaluga Region under a contract with the RTKCOMM Company. Local implementation of the national “Education” project was launched in the Kaluga Region in 2006. Overall in 2006, 230 schools gained access to the Internet, with 196 more in the current year. In particular, 411 schools gained access using xDSL-technologies, and 15 other schools were connected to the Internet using satellite communications technology. Additionally, along with implementation of the national "Education" project , the Kaluga branch of CenterTelecom deployed telephony at rural schools which previously had no access to fixed-line telephony.
 
Commenting on fulfillment of the project, CenterTelecom General Director Vaagn Martirosyan pointed out that the region is the first in the Russian Federation where the project has been completed. "The company's participation in the priority projects aimed at development of education and culture is one of the main lines of CenterTelecom's social activity. I am assured that this year we will be able to provide all educational institutions of Russia's Centre with broadband Internet access, thus fully completing the realization of the national project "Education" in the Central Federal District," he said. Mr. Martirosyan said that, under the contract with RTKOMM, CenterTelecom is obligated to provide internet access to 11,199 schools in 17 regions of the Central Federal District of Russia. 
 
In September 2006 in order to fulfill the national project "Education," Russia's Ministry for Education and Science of Russia together with Ministry of Information Technologies and Communications of Russia conducted a tender to choose a company to provide Internet access for 52,940 schools. RTKOMM, a national communications operator, was chosen as the executor of the project and will be providing schools with unlimited 24-hour Internet access by December 2007.