OREANDA-NEWS. August 25, 2010. Sibirtelecom starts offering of Internet services based on state-of-the-art GPON technology in Irkutsk. This project allows the Company to give its subscribers new possibilities of high-speed Internet – GPON ensures traffic transmission capacity of up to 1 Gbit/s.

The technology of passive optical networks (GPON) enables network bandwidth 100 higher compared to ADSL technology, provides high quality of video transmission and offers new services. The network is built with the help of passive dividers of optical power (splitters), which require no current supply and maintenance. The feature of the technology is 100% optical channel from ATS to an apartment or an office, which increases the quality of signal transmission (voice, data, video) and dozens times as faster regarding data transmission speed.

“Together with Internet services by GPON technology the Company will connect subscribers to TVist digital television service. Over the long term this technology will be used as the basis for development of high-definition television – HDTV, and digital telephony services”, – noted Oleg Shirshov, Director of Irkutsk branch of Sibirtelecom OJSC.

At the moment the installed capacity of GPON exceeded 100 thousand ports including Novosibirsk, Omsk, Krasnoyarsk, Kemerovo and Novokuznetsk. In 2010 the Company intends to invest around 3.4 bln rubles into development of GPON, including over 130 mln rubles in Irkutsk region.

Pilot project in Irkutsk was launched in residential districts Pervomaisky and Universitetsky. The first one hundred subscribers of Sibirtelecom OJSC to the new technology will be connected free of charge until September 30, 2010. GPON will be available first to the citizens of Irkutsk and ultimately to the residents of Irkutsk region.

With the new project Sibirtelecom expects to increase its market share in the segment of Internet services. Currently the Company holds around 60% of the regional market and serves approximately 690 thousand subscribers. Implementing GPON project Sibirtelecom sets new technological trends in the region which lead to further improvement of the quality of provided services and satisfaction of growing requirements of subscribers.