OREANDA-NEWS. On 24th January 2008 a meeting between Governor of Pskov Oblast M. V. Kuznetsov and General Manager of OJSC North-West Telecom V. A.   Akulich took place in Pskov . In the course of the meeting the parties discussed the results of fulfilling the Agreement of Cooperation between the Administration of Pskov Oblast and OJSC North-West Telecom signed on 22nd April 2005, and considered the prospects of telecommunications development in the region for 2008-2009.   The Parties noted the fruitfulness of the interaction in the framework of the Agreement which makes it possible to successfully tackle the issues of infocommunications development in the region.

For the last year alone, OJSC N.W. Telecom transferred 69 million roubles to the regional budget and invested 855 million roubles in the communication infrastructure of Pskov Oblast . 96 electronic telephone exchanges with the numbering capacity of 38214 units and 3432 broadband Internet access have been commissioned .

In 2007 renovation of the communication network in Velikiye Luki was completed, as a result of which digitalization of the city telephone network of the Pskov Branch of OJSC N.W.Telecom on the whole reached 100%.

A project for replacement of the equipment of the existing fibre-optic transmission line by more powerful equipment has been implemented , which has made it possible to close the ring of the fibre-optic communication line of Pskov Oblast and to ensure a back-up network recovery. In 2007 , 184 km of fibre-optic communication lines were laid.

Besides the active development of the engineering infrastructure of the region and introduction of new technologies and services, OJSC N.W. Telecom is implementing a number of big socially significant projects in Pskov Oblast . By 1st September 2007, OJSC North-West Telecom connected 77 schools of Pskov Oblast to the Internet ahead of schedule in the framework of the priority national project " Education". All in all, 330 schools of the Pskov Oblast were connected in the framework of the project during 2006-2007. Introduction of universal communication services is a priority area, too. By the start of 2008, the number of universal service payphone s installed in the region amounted to 2301.

Summing up the progress of Agreement implementation has been the result of the meeting. The following areas have been found the most important areas of cooperation between the Oblast Administration and OJSC N.W. Telecom :

- development of the communication networks in Pskov Oblast in the interests of creating a single information and telecommunication space of Russia;  

- introducing new technologies and services, construction of multi-service networks;

- implementing socially significant programme s and projects in the territory of Pskov Oblast ;

- interaction and information exchange for ensuring the efficient operation of the Company.

In his address the General Manager of OJSC N.W.Telecom noted that "cooperation with the Administration of Pskov Oblast was especially productive in the past year ". Vladimir Akulich also stressed that " OJSC N.W. Telecom is planning at least the same activity in the region in 2008 ". The Company will continue upgrading the telecommunication network of Pskov Oblast , the introduction and development of new technologies , as well as implementation of socially significant projects and, among other things, 4109 payphone s will be installed in the framework of the Federal Programme for the introduction of the universal communication service using payphones".

The meeting with the Governor of Pskov Oblast is not the only goal of OJSC N.W. Telecom's General Manager 's visit to the region. V. A.   Akulich held a meeting with the team of the Pskov Branch of OJSC N.W.Telecom and took part in the work of the Coordination Council of OJSC N.W.Telecom that was held from 22nd to 25th January 2008 in Pskov.