April 28, 2009, Moscow, Balakovo: COMSTAR – United TeleSystems (COMSTAR-UTS, LSE: CMST), the leading integrated telecommunications operator in Russia and the CIS, has announced that a number of cable television (CTV) subscribers of STREAM-TV branch (forms a part of COMSTAR-UTS Group of companies) in Balakovo city has exceeded 50 thousand in early April 2009.

Attainment of this figure has been an acknowledgment of the company’s leadership as the principal urban operator on the local market of cable television services. Currently, cable television services provided by STREAM-TV are available in each of 846 multistorey blocks of flats in Balakovo city. Penetration rate of the service has amounted to about 70%.

These high figures have been attained thanks to construction of fiber optic communication links, large-scale integration of innovation technologies and improvement of subscriber service. Mikhail Volodikhin, director of STREAM-TV branch in Balakovo, explains this as follows: “Over the last 2 years we have laid 52 km of fiber-optic cable and 94 km of coaxial cable and have constructed the cable network to ensure transfer from multiuser systems to HFC technology (Hybrid Fiber-Coaxial networks). It has allowed us to increase a number of broadcasting channels from 6 to 21, i.e. we have added 15 satellite channels. Then, we have installed TV BLANKOM head-end station and expanded the package to 50 TV channels thus having considerably improved broadcasting quality”.

The company’s marketing policy is focused on meeting demands and preferences of all subscribers. The STREAM-TV branch offers two TV packages to its cable television subscribers. Modern basic package includes 50 popular channels. Retro social package includes 17 most popular federal TV channels.

For further information about COMSTAR-UTS activity in Balakovo, please visit: https://balakovo.stream-tv.ru