On 7 December 2007 in Veliky Novgorod there was a meeting of S.G. Mitin, Governor of the Novgorod Region, and V.A. Akulich, General Director of OJSC North West Telecom. The meeting examined the implementation results of the Agreement on Cooperation between the administration of the Novgorod Region and OJSC North West Telecom, signed on 25 October 2004, and discussed the perspectives of telecommunication in the region in 2008-2009. The parties observed that the cooperation under the Agreement was fruitful and allowed to solve successfully the issues relating to the development of infocommunication in the region.

Since the Agreement came into force in 2004, OJSC North West Telecom invested over 1.3 billion roubles into the telecommunication infrastructure of the Novgorod Region. The number of main stations in the region reached 185.8 thousand by December 2007, while the digitisation level of the local network approached 56%. The same period saw laying out of over 500 km of fibre-optic telecommunication lines in the region and extension of the installed capacity of the multiservice network by over 20 thousand broadband Internet access ports.

In addition to the active development of the region's technological infrastructure and introduction of new technologies and services, OJSC North West Telecom is implementing a number of social projects in the Novgorod Region. Within the high-priority national Education project, by 1 September 2007 (ahead of schedule) OJSC North West Telecom had provided Internet connections to 254 schools in the Novgorod Region. Another priority is the introduction of the universal telecommunication services. By February 2008 the number of universal service payphones installed in the region will have reached 1832; 1526 of them are already in operation.

The meeting resulted in signing of a new Agreement, which defined the following important areas of cooperation between the Regional Administration and OJSC North West Telecom:

• optimal satisfaction of the telecommunication needs of the population and companies;
• increased digitisation level of the Novgorod Region network as part of the development of the unified national infocommunication environment;
• introduction of new technologies and services, construction of multiservice networks;
• implementation of social projects and programmes in the Novgorod Region;
• cooperation and data sharing in order to ensure security and to counteract terrorist activities.

OJSC North West Telecom will continue its considerable investments into the upgrade and extension of the region's telecommunication network; it will actively introduce new advanced technologies and provide up-to-date services to the population and organisations of the Novgorod Region.

In his speech, Vladimir Akulich, General Director of OJSC North West Telecom, observed that "the Novgorod Region is situated between the two capitals, two largest business centres of the country, Moscow and St Petersburg; therefore, a well-developed infrastructure, including the telecommunication infrastructure, is important not just for the Novgorod Region, but also for the development of economic links between the regions." Speaking about plans for the future, Vladimir Akulich said that "by 2010 OJSC North West Telecom will have replaced all the outdated exchanges with the modern digital ones in the entire North-West of Russia, which will allow to improve the service quality and expand the range of up-to-date telecommunication services for the population and companies in rural areas, including such areas in the Novgorod Region."

The meeting with the Governor of the Novgorod Region was not the only reason for the visit of the General Director of OJSC North West Telecom to the region. V.A. Akulich met the staff of the Novgorod Branch of OJSC North West Telecom and participated in the discussions of the Coordinating Council of OJSC North West Telecom which took place from 5 December to 7 December 2007 in Veliky Novgorod.