We will monitor the communications quality

Due to guests inflow, not only the city transport thoroughfares, but also the connecting roads will be overloaded. The RF Ministry of communications was appointed responsible for reliability of telecommunications. The Ministry actions are described by the Minister of communications of Russia Leonid Reiman.

What events were conducted by MCI on the eve of festivities?

Leonid Reiman: November 2002 saw the order of RF government on construction of the communications site “provision of telecommunication services on the sites of festivities for St. Petersburg 300-year anniversary”. The responsibility for this order fulfillment was laid down on MCI. The project basic purpose became construction of a single TC space that would include transport, trunk, telephone networks.  In February 2003, OAO Severo-Zapadny Telecom organized an HQ for preparation to the festive events in commemoration of 300 years of the city foundation. On May 15, 2003 an acceptance commission was formed headed by First deputy minister Alexander Kiselyov. May 16 saw its final session, at which an acceptance act for putting into operation of a communications facility was signed.  All sites are state property and were transferred to the balance of communication enterprises on the lease terms in the course of one week that was left before the jubilee (usually, the transfer to balance and issue of permission for commercial operation takes around 2-3 months). Among the most important objects for which MCI was responsible were Strelna and Konstantinovsky palace, president’s sea residence, Pulkovo-1 and Pulkovo-2, HQ of 300^th anniversary on English embank. 8, press-center at Pribaltijsky hotel, Place square and the Neva water area, Troitsky bridge, Mars field, etc. Performed works: 15 km of fiber-optical lines were laid to Konstantinovsky palace in Strelna, communications established for 3 vessels for BIP-persons, a trunk-communication network was laid and an additional sound-amplifier equipment installed. In the center of the city four video-monitors 50 sq m each were installed for direct broadcasting Vladimir Putin’s greetings during the festivities.

Does MCI take part in the jubilee?

Leonid Reiman: MCI is responsible for control of communications quality during the jubilee festivities. It also provides all necessary communication types to official guests, presidents, their escorts, state officials. In the framework of preparation for 300^th anniversary, a many-year program of issue of state postage stamps.  Some series have already appeared, including the latest ones: 6 stamps and a unit “St. Petersburg is 300 years old”, 2 stamps “Carilion”, two units with depiction of the symbols of CIS member-states and of Russia-EU summits. 

How do you plan to control reliability of communications in the city during the festivities?

Leonid Reiman: A monitoring center was launched at OAO Severo-Zapadny Telecom to trace the load of operator networks servicing the jubilee events.

There is a list of sites included in the federal jubilee list. Which of them are MCI responsibility?

Leonid Reiman: Central museum of  A.S. Popov – site of federal importance included in the List of commissions of President of the Russian Federation for reconstruction of a number of sites on the eve of St. Petersburg 300^th anniversary (in total, 19 objects were included whose restoration was planned to be finished on the eve of the anniversary). Restoration and repair works were started in 2001. The first launch facility was completed, several halls – reconstructed, among them Atrium, Church hall, an armored safe-storage for the unique stamps collection containing around 9 million postage stamps.

Has the load on the postal department gone up on the eve of the festivities? How will the post-offices work in the days of jubilee?

Leonid Reiman: According to approximate estimations, the load has grown by 40-50% percent already now. In the days of festivities, the post-offices will work in the standard mode.