LONDON, September 2, 2010 /PRNewswire/ --

- Russian Wireless Broadband Company Yota Builds New Citywide Network in Kazan in Just Two Months

- Pilot Scheme Launched With Showcase of Next Generation Wireless Internet Services

Yota, the wireless broadband company from Russia, has deployed its latest fourth generation (4G) network in Kazan, capital city of the Republic of Tatarstan - having installed the citywide network in just two months.

The network trial was launched with a number of live demonstrations proving wireless broadband speeds of up to 100mps (megabytes per second - in a lab environment) and a suite of next generation wireless services such as live 3D-video conferencing and full HD video streaming. Yota has invested $20 million in building the Kazan network, which covers the city's whole population of over one million people with 147 base stations. Kazan is Russia's third city and host to the Universiade (the world university games) in 2013.

In his address at the launch ceremony Yota CEO, Dennis Sverdlov, said: "Today not only marks a success for Yota, but serves as a milestone in the delivery of next generation wireless services that will transform the way people live and do business".

Sverdlov added "Yota is already expanding fast and deploying the latest 4G networks across a number of emerging markets worldwide. These particular markets are not hindered by the complexities of upgrading existing technologies, and don't have any legacy of 3G premiums. As a result we will soon see these countries leapfrog the more developed Western economies when it comes to wireless broadband services".

Yota has invested $500m to date in the development of its latest generation 4G network covering seven cities in Russia and Nicaragua with more coming soon.

Sverdlov joined Nikolay Nikiforov, the Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Tatarstan and the Minister of Information and Communications of the Republic of Tatarstan to demonstrate to the media and public how the latest 4G technologies can change everyday life. Examples included:

    - Integrated emergency services - integration of emergency security and
      healthcare services to enable improved monitoring and management and
      optimise response times

    - The future of education - live wireless streamed 3D lessons with lesson
      plans and multimedia content to improve educational opportunities for
      remote communities

    - Improved healthcare services - remote access to patients' medical
      records for healthcare professionals on the move allowing improved
      emergency response; virtual appointments via video call for patients in
      remote communities

    - Public transport - live streamed video monitoring of the public
      transport network for improved security

    - Full HD streaming - wireless streaming of full HD (1080p) video

    - Speed tests up to 100mbps in a lab environment (with only one device
      running per sector)

Yota symbolizes a new generation in Russian innovation that stands to reshape the telecommunications market worldwide. Since commercial launch only 14 months ago, Yota already has almost 600,000 customers and recently reported 2010 half-year results of $66m. Yota runs successful operations in Russia and Nicaragua and will soon launch its services across Belarus and Peru.

Notes to editors

About Yota - http://www.yota.ru

Yota is a wireless broadband Internet company from Russia. Yota currently provides 4G Internet services to nearly 600,000 customers across five cities in Russia (Moscow, St Petersburg, Sochi, Krasnodar and Ufa), which have a total combined population of over 20 million people. Yota adds thousands of new customers every day and plans to expand its network to cover more than 25 million people by the end of 2010.

Yota has recently announced plans to launch latest generation 4G networks in five Russian cities in 2010 with Moscow and Saint-Petersburg following in 2011. This will make Yota one of the world's largest 4G networks.

Yota is also expanding internationally, having launched in Nicaragua in July 2010 and with network construction underway in Belarus and Peru. Yota ultimately aims to provide services in developing countries across Latin America, the CIS, Asia and Africa.

    For further information:

    Gareth Williams, Bell Pottinger
    Mob: +44(0)7554-114882, Tel: +44(0)20-7861-2832,
    Email: gareth.williams@harvard.co.uk

SOURCE Yota

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