31/05/2005   PeterStar stirring to activity in Murmansk

ZAO PeterStar has completed the process of transforming its subsidiary OOO PCF ASPOL-Diamand-Murmansk (ADM) to a PeterStar affiliate. This step became one more stage of progressive business development of PeterStar in the Northwest Region.
Oleg Sobolev, former head of ADM-Murmansk, became the Director of the PeterStar affiliate in Murmansk.
The Petersburg company is going to promote in Murmansk both products for individuals and services for corporate customers. Mid-May the company started selling Internet dial-up and IP telephony cards. Internet node equipment and VoIP card platform made by Cisco have been already installed and tested. It’s planned to provide at the first stage the modem pool capacity of 360 lines.
New PeterStar cards will be available in Murmansk along with the ADM and Hallo cards, with this allowing the company to increase the company’s share on the Internet access and IP telephony market up to 35 – 40%. The dealer network covers about 200 points of sales, including Kirovsk and - from September – Apatity.
Users of PeterStar cards in Murmansk will be able to take advantage of roaming with St. Petersburg, Moscow, Pskov, Veliky Novgorod, as well as with Finland, Germany and Great Britain.
Simultaneously PeterStar develops a telephone node in Murmansk to provide telephone communication services for corporate customers. The node is based on ANS 2000 equipment; initially its numbering capacity will make 1,000 numbers.
Until the end of the year PeterStar is planning to invest about $500,000 in the Murmansk affiliate, including in the development of its own transport network in Murmansk.

“From the date of its foundation the ADM-Murmansk company provided telematics services only. Along with the transformation of the company to the PeterStar affiliate we are going to expand the range of services in order to offer our customers integrated communication solutions, including telephony, data and Internet access.” – says Victor Koresh, General Director of ZAO PeterStar.

PeterStar entered the Murmansk market in August 2004 by acquiring a 100% stake in OOO ADM-Murmansk.
In addition to Murmansk there are also PeterStar’s points of presence in Moscow, Veliky Novgorod, Pskov, Kaliningrad, Vyborg and Petrozavodsk.