Telia establishes broadband services and cable television in St. Petersburg

Telia establishes broadband services and cable television in St.Petersburg Telia now takes further steps towards becoming an important player in Eastern Europe by establishing a joint venture for broadband services and cable television with local Russian partners in St. Petersburg. Telia will initially own 65 percent of the new company, known as Telix. "This establishment is an important first step in Telia's continued expansion into the broadband area, in a neighbouring foreign market. A foreign market with more than 100 million inhabitants and probably the most important growth market in Europe over the next few decades," says Hans Larsson, manager of Telia's international broadband and cable television operations. The new company has obtained the rights for building cable television in the Kalininsky area in the northwest of St Petersburg and will continue to establish itself in other St. Petersburg areas. The new network comprises broadband capacity and customers will successively be offered interactive services such as High Speed Internet, Video on Demand, games and digital television. Customers will initially be offered cable television services with perfect reception. At present, Kalininsky residents only have access to Russian terrestrial television channels with poor reception. Telia already owns broadband and cable television operations in Estonia (Starman Kaabeltelevisiooni AS), Latvia (Telia Multicom AS) and Danmark (Stofa). For more information, please contact: Torsten Olofson, International broadband and cable television, Telia Tel: 08-7136617, 070-5387689 Telia is the leading supplier of telecom-based information services in the Nordic/Baltic region. At the same time, "seamless" pan-European and global services are being realized through powerful alliances and partnerships in Europe and around the world. Annual turnover 1999 reached 52 121 MSEK and the number of employees amounted to approx. 30 600. Not for distribution in the United States, Canada, Australia or Japan ------------------------------------------------------------ Please visit http://www.bit.se for further information The following files are available for download: http://www.bit.se/bitonline/2000/06/15/20000615BIT00830/bit0001.doc http://www.bit.se/bitonline/2000/06/15/20000615BIT00830/bit0002.pdf