Moscow goes WiFi crazy
Golden Telecom, a leading facilities-based provider of integrated telecommunications and Internet services in major population centres throughout Russia and other countries in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), has announced that it will launch the commercial operation of its WiFi network (Golden WiFi) in Moscow on February 1 this year.
Golden WiFi begins commercial operation as the largest WiFi network in Europe and the second largest in the world. Currently, Golden WiFi covers approximately 800,000 households in Moscow and comprises 6,700 access nodes. Based on the number of access nodes alone, Golden Telecom has surpassed the world’s largest WiFi networks in cities like San Francisco, Philadelphia and London.
Golden Telecom commenced the final phase of its WiFi network rollout with Beta-testing at the end of 2006. More than 50,000 users have registered since the network became available in trial mode, almost three times more than the incumbent DSL operator signed in Moscow during the third quarter of 2006. In January, 2007 alone there have been more than 20,000 active users of Golden WiFi with about 6,000 active on a daily basis.
Subscribers can top up their accounts at over 7,000 locations throughout Moscow by either purchasing a scratch card or by using cash terminals. These easy, familiar and customer-friendly payment methods will be available for different rate plans, depending on customer preferences. At the launch of the service, an unlimited monthly access rate will be offered for 500 rubles (about GBP10) for speeds up to 54Mbits/s.
Commenting on the launch, Jean-Pierre Vandromme, Golden Telecom’s CEO said: “In 2006 we successfully implemented our broadband access rollout strategy and deployed the Golden WiFi network in Moscow in a short period of time. The beta testing demonstrated the popularity of these services among customers. By 2010 we expect to achieve a significant customer market share with between 300,000 and 400,000 subscribers.”