OREANDA-NEWS. On 19 March 2009 CenterTelecom OJSC reported that it has put into operation a multi-service telecommunications NGN network as a part of a program of reconstruction of its Moscow branch’s local telephone network.

During the period 2007-2009 CenterTelecom has been implementing a program of reconstruction of local telephone network covered by the company’s Moscow branch, as part of the corporate technical development program. The main task of the program is the replacement of analog (step-by-step, crossbar and semi-electronic) telephone exchanges with digital telephone exchanges providing additional telecommunications services based on new technologies. This will allow the company to provide high quality telephone connection, high speed Internet access, interactive TV and other types of services. 

In the course of the program’s implementation the latest new-generation digital telecommunications equipment has been installed in the Odintsovo, Krasnogorsk, Mytischi, Balashikha and Leninsk districts of the Moscow region and in a number of the Moscow region’s cities including Krasnoznamensk, Zvenigorod, Korolev, Yubileiny, Zheleznodorozhny, Reutov, Dzerzhinsky and Lytkarino. The equipment includes SI2000V6 and SOFTX3000 softswitches from Iskratel and Huawei, and a Huawei UA5000 subscriber gateway. Installed capacity of the rebuilt network is 341,500 telephone numbers.

To connect the reconstructed local telephone networks to the public telephone network a new NGN packet switching network based on IP/MPLS technology was built. The NGN network is connected with the Moscow region’s zonal telecommunications network. CISCO CRS-1 routers, VPE CISCO 7606S service routers and CISCO 3750 catalyst switches were used in  development of the infrastructure. An optic DWDM network was used as a basis since it allows the development of an overlay packet network if optic fiber resources are limited. Reconstruction of the old DWDM network necessary for successful implementation of the program was undertaken using Infinera DTN and XDM-1000 equipment (made by Infinera and ECI-Telecom companies).

The network reconstruction has been done retaining a seven-digit numbering scheme (code ABC=495) and the current dialing method. Plans call for a switch to the ten-digit dialing method (using codes АВС=495 and АВС=498) – in other words, 495ххххххх or 498ххххххх. 

Among participants at a launch ceremony for the multi-service NGN network held on March 5, 2009 in Vidnoye, Moscow region, were Naum Marder, Russia’s Deputy Minister of Telecoms and Mass Communications, Nikolai Mezhuev, Moscow region’s Minister of Telecommunications and Information Technologies, Georgy Romsky, Advisor to the General Director of Svyazinvest OJSC, Vaagn Martirosyan, General Director, CenterTelecom OJSC, representatives of the Administration and Parliament of the Moscow region and of telecommunications equipment supplying companies.

Addressing the ceremony, Mr. Marder pointed out the importance of NGN network development in the Russian Federation: “Such networks are a basis for Russia’s future telecommunications infrastructure, and a guarantee of our country’s successful integration into the global telecommunications space. So this is one of the most important elements of the formation of the new community in the Russian Federation in the twenty first century, namely the information society.  I am happy that CenterTelecom is expanding its capabilities in the provision of high quality telecommunications services in the Moscow region, and the Moscow region’s population will be able to see the true value of this in the near future. This means that the operator is actively developing, that it is working on various parts of the provided services from development of the tariffs advantageous for subscribers to formation of a common information space in the Moscow region. The company is strengthening its positions in the telecommunications market of the region and in Russia’s Central Federal District.”

Vaagn Martirosyan, General Director, CenterTelecom OJSC, said at the ceremony that beyond replacement of the analog with digital exchanges, the reconstruction of the Moscow branch’s telecommunications network solved a number of problems arising from the need to bring local telephone networks into correspondence with current industry legislation. He added: “Reconstruction of the network allowed CenterTelecom not only to strengthen its positions in the Moscow region’s telecommunications market where competition is very high but also to form a basis for the company’s active expansion into high yielding segments of the market such as broadband Internet access, interactive TV, etc. Moreover in the course of the work on the project we succeeded in solving simultaneously issues of the branch’s technical development, optimization of technological solutions by combing various producers’ equipment, expansion of our range of services and improvement of service quality. We also managed to bring CenterTelecom’s Moscow branch telecommunications networks into correspondence with current industrial legislation. In future we will use this experience in other branches of the company.”