North-West Telecom JSC branch Elektrosvyaz of Pskov region totalized the preliminary results of operation for year 2004.

The proceeds of the branch increased by 16% and comprised RUR 621.6 million. The volume of investments of NWT to the developing of communication facilities in Pskov region exceeded RUR 154 million. In the framework of the investment program of North-West Telecom JSC, 16 digital telephone exchanges were built and put into operation, in addition, a large amount of work was carried out to expand the already existing electronic telephone exchanges.

In 2004, a special emphasis was given to more active work regarding installation of telephones to disables participants and veterans of the World War II. Over the last year, 314 veterans and disables participants were provided with access to the telephone network, which is twice as large as was planned. In the first quarter of 2005, the work in this direction will be continued.

In the course of executing a social programme on rural installation of telephones in 2004, installation of telephones was performed in 117 rural settlements of Pskov oblast.

For year 2004, the number capacity of the NWT JSC branch Pskovelektrosvyaz increased by more than 16.6 thousand numbers. More than 7 thousand telephones were installed for the inhabitants of the oblast and the organizations. For the beginning of 2005, the total installed telephone network capacity of the branch Pskovelektrosvyaz reached 158.9 thousand lines. The total number of the subsidiary subscribers is about 144 thousand. The digitalization of urban telephone exchanges comprised 74 % and rural – 39.5 %.

 In the past year, 60% of the payphone stock was transferred to receiving a unified payphone card of Russia.

For 2004, more than 100 km of the Western Semiring of the fiber-optic communication line Opochka-Sebezh-Pustoshka-Velikiye Luki was built. In addition, two segments with a length of more than 122 km connecting Opochka with Sebezh and Pustoshka were put into operation.

In the framework of fulfilling the investment plan of the subsidiary, the equipment combining the regional information-telecommunication computer network with the Internet nodes was installed allowing an expanded subscribers access to the network. Beside this, the inhabitants of Pskov oblast obtained in 2004 new possibilities for Internet access - by means of xDSL technology and a free access without registration. Last year, the work on a large project for creating a convergent network for the North-West Bank of the Savings bank of Russia was completed.