OREANDA-NEWS. December 27, 2010. COMSTAR – United TeleSystems (COMSTAR-UTS, LSE: CMST), the leading provider of integrated telecom services in Russia and the CIS, announces that it is launching in Moscow the Universal Router – a converged product of COMSTAR and MTS – with built-in connectivity to wireless Wi-Fi FON networks.

The sales of the Universal Router that allows private customers and owners of home or small offices (SOHO) to use fixed and wireless Internet services provided by members of MTS Group began in July 2010.

This device provides connectivity to fixed broadband access networks using ADSL/ADSL2 plus  and Ethernet, and to wireless access networks using various technologies. Now, in addition to the regular Wi-Fi and 3G features, the router integrates new functionality – support for global Wi-Fi-based FON network. Complementarity of technologies provides not only high redundancy of links (the router automatically switches over to the redundant link) but also free use of the Wi-Fi FON in Moscow and abroad as registered members of the worldwide FON network can use their logins and passwords to access the World Wide Web through access points of other FON users. To date, the number of FON hotspots in Moscow is getting close to 50,000, with over 2.5 million hotspots available worldwide.

Furthermore, the Universal Router allows you to watch digital interactive STREAM TV on your TV screen after you have connected a TV set-top-box, or on your PC screen (the STREAM TV on your PC service) after you have installed a dedicated Media Player.

“We are constantly improving our products and expanding hardware functionality, so that users can get the whole range of opportunities provided by MTS Group. Now, with the FON features integrated into the router, our subscribers have a unique opportunity to get connected not only at home but also abroad, and this is absolutely free. We will continue to expand the set of services and technologies; for example, in the near future we plan to add WiMAX,” said Maxim Chernov, Marketing Director of COMSTAR-UTS.

“The implementation of the FON functionality in the modem that is a universal and integrated product for the entire MTS Group opens up the possibility to make a quantum leap in developing the FON project. The MTS Universal Router will soon be sold throughout Russia, which will significantly expand our geographic coverage through regional expansion and bring the project to an even higher level,” underscored Evgeny Koryagin, Head of the FON Office in Russia.

Private users of MTS STREAM services in Moscow can buy the Universal Router bundled with the EASY Home Internet package at 150 outlets of the MTS Retail Network and 6 COMSTAR (MTS STREAM) sales and customer service centers, and enterprise customers can buy it from their personal COMSTAR and MTS managers.