OREANDA-NEWS. On 23 March 2009 was announced, that COMSTAR – United TeleSystems (COMSTAR-UTS OJSC, LSE: CMST), a major operator of integrated telecommunications services in Russia and the CIS sponsored the round-table, organized by CNews Conference and CNews Analytics companies, devoted to the development of wireless communication technologies in Russia. The round-table was conducted on the 12th of March.

The event gathered together more than 80 experts, representatives of companies operating on the ICT market, telecommunications operators, telecommunication equipment suppliers, State regulatory agencies and R&D institutes. Dmitry Korovin, project manager of the Department for strategic planning of JSC COMSTAR-UTS made a presentation on the theme "Wireless broadband Internet access as a part of unified telecommunication environment of COMSTAR-UTS". He explained in details the ideology of creation of unified “seamless” telecommunication environment of COMSTAR-UTS in Moscow on the base of combination of wire-line and wireless technologies of broadband Internet access (BBA). The final element in realization of the present business-model will be COMSTAR-WiMAX network. Field-testing of the mentioned above network was started in March of the current year (see the news).

In the report of COMSTAR-UTS representative, it was noted, in particular: "The Unique combination of broadband Internet access services provided by COMSTAR-UTS with the help of different technologies will make it possible for our clients to be always connected to the Global Internet. Already this year our clients will be able to get Internet access using three different variants depending on their location and their needs when surfing the Internet. This is the in-home fixed-line ADSL-access (at home, in the office) and wireless Internet access using two technologies – Wi-Fi and WiMAX. Thanks to the usage of the two technologies, a subscriber has an opportunity to remain mobile both inside buildings, equipped with Wi-Fi hot spots, whether it is a flat or a public place (cafe, restaurant, hotels etc.), and outdoors – with the help of mobile WiMAX. Each of the described above technologies has its own peculiarities, and they do not make it possible to use only one technology for all the cases. For example, a specific feature of wire-line Internet access using xDSL technologies is the optimum access price, currently the most developed infrastructure (MGTS network covers more than 3,6 mln households in the capital), already existing large subscriber base (at the moment COMSTAR-UTS Group has more than 790 000 BBA subscribers in Moscow) and the scale of penetration, but the major disadvantage in terms of subscriber is the absence of opportunity to be mobile. At the moment WiMAX is the leading technology of mobile Internet access, which provides large areas of coverage, in comparison with, for example, quite common for subscribers Wi-Fi-networks. However, lack of unified standards, lack of radio-frequency spectrum allocated for WiMAX, and low level of penetration of this relatively new technology make it impossible to use only this technology for provision of mobile access. That is why when we weighted all the pros and contras of the different technologies, we decided to combine their usage: fixed-line BBA and Wi-Fi for indoors use and WiMAX – for outdoors use".

In addition to all the mentioned above, Dmitry Korovin reminded to all the participants of the round table, that starting from the last year COMSTAR-UTS, together with its Spanish partner FON Wireless Company, is deploying the Russian segment of worldwide FON Wi-Fi network in Moscow. If a subscriber is connected to COMSTAR-FON network (http://www.fon.comstar.ru), he can get access to Internet independent of his location not only in Moscow but also all over the world, everywhere where the unified FON network is presented.

For COMSTAR subscribers the key element that provides comfort in the use of all the three available broadband access technologies is the customized software Connection manager. This software, that is to be installed onto users’ subscriber terminals, will make automated switching over between different access networks depending on the location of a subscriber. Wi-Fi will be used at home or in a cafe, where Comstar WiFi-network is presented. If a subscriber goes outside he will be automatically switched over to the mobile WiMAX network", - explained D. Korovin, wireless BBA project manager of COMSTAR-UTS.

WiMAX provided by Comstar is a technology allowing subscribers to get wireless broadband Internet access on the streets of Moscow, even on the move.

WiMAX provide data transmission speed equal up to 10 Mbps and firm connection at speed more than 60 km per hour.