OREANDA-NEWS. On 03 March 2009 was announced, that Sergey Pridantsev, President of COMSTAR – United TeleSystems Group of Companies, delivered a keynote address devoted to growth of the Russian telecom service market in financially unstable environment, at the 3rd International Telecoms World Russia & CIS 2009 opening in Moscow.

This year, business growth strategy and the quest of new profit sources amid the global economic crisis were in the focus of attention of the participants of this representative industry forum that called together the top managers of major fixed-line and mobile networks operators from Russia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Ukraine, Pakistan and other countries, manufacturers and suppliers of telecommunications equipment, content providers, investors and experts.

Speaking at the opening of the Conference, Sergey Pridantsev, President of COMSTAR– UTS, summarized the results of pre-crisis development of telecommunications industry in Russia, and formulated the main market trends in the new conditions. “Recessionary occurrences in economy definitely could not but affect operator business, too. However, this impact is not so crucial in the fixed-line communications and Internet access segment as in some other industries. In spite of reduction in the amount of available lending and the change in consumer demand structure, telecommunications industry is relatively well protected from adverse effect of the negative business climate, which gives it a practicable opportunity to build up its weight in the country’s economy and makes it most attractive to potential investors in the mid-term,” he noted. “Research indicates that fixed-line communications remain the core, “anchor” service to millions of residential and corporate users, a stable source of cash flow necessary for further growth, while broadband access technologies-based services are still the foundation for further business growth, although the rate of growth of ICT industry overall will obviously slow down.” According to COMSTAR-UTS President, the market will see consolidation of assets around major players. Eventually, those companies which chose a well-defined growth strategy and an effective business model, with no heavy debt commitments in foreign exchange, which are capable of providing unique services featuring a high level of quality with regard for individual needs of various user groups, will be able to strengthen their position. Sergey Pridantsev pointed out that COMSTAR-UTS Group not only offers the most affordable prices currently on the Moscow market for the Internet access from MGTS with capability of daily billing and payment on credit terms for the services, but is also deploying aggressively new promising services such as wireless access based on Wi-Fi and WiMAX technologies.

Those new innovation projects of COMSTAR-UTS were the matter in question in the topic of Alexander Gorbunov, Vice President for Strategy and Development, COMSTAR-UTS OJSC, who participated in the Panel discussion 26 February devoted to the evolution of wireless broadband access technologies in Russia and the CIS.

The Telecoms World Russia & CIS 2009 Congress was opened till 27 February.