New-look Rostelecom's Siberian division to invest 11.2 bln rubles this year
NOVOSIBIRSK. April 5 (Interfax) - Total investment in newly merged OJSC Rostelecom's Siberian macroregional branch will come to 11.183 billion rubles in 2011, the company said in its materials.
"Total capital investments will be roughly the same as last year. The main are of interest to us is broadband Internet access and the development of a multi-service network. We plan to cross the million-mark [in broadband subscribers] this year in Siberia," Rostelecom vice-president and head of its Siberia branch, Ivan Dadykin, told journalists on Tuesday in Novosibirsk.
He said that around 60% of total investment will go to developing broadband Internet services and the multi-service network, 10% will go to developing new sites and 10% will go to supporting administrative infrastructure. "An additional 20% will go to corporate goals. After the merger, we need to integrate all systems. There should be unified billing, a single system for management. There is a lot to do," Dadykin said.
He added that this is one of the strong sides of Rostelecom's Siberian branch - developing a broadband network and GPON technologies. As of the end of the first quarter of 2011, total GPON subscribers in Siberia came to 50,000 people. By the year's close, this figure could increase to 200,000 subscribers.
The materials said that Sibirtelecom's total broadband subscribers at the end of 2010 came to 827,000 people, which increase to 873,000 subscribers during January-March 2011.
It was earlier reported that Svyazinvest Holding's eight subsidiaries - seven interregional telecoms and OJSC Dagsvyazinform, were merged with Rostelecom. Notes on the stoppage of operations of the merged companies were registered with EGRYUL.
The seven interregional companies were transformed into seven macroregional branches in Rostelecom, which are headed by their former CEOs, who have been appointed as Rostelecom vice-presidents. The macroregional branches will oversee Rostelecom operations through 73 smaller branches throughout Russia.
Svyazinvest's packet in the merged Rostelecom comes to around 43.37%, Vnesheconombank - 2.43% and Deposit Insurance Agency - 7.4%. Therefore, the entire state interest comes to 53.23%.