Eurotranstelecom Develops Fiber-Optic Network

Inkom will build a 5,000 km fiber optic communication line for the Eurotranstelecom company before 2008. The total cost of the project will be about USD 7.5 mn and the network will have a capacity of 2.5 Gbps. A 2,000 km segment is already in operation between Lviv-Kharkiv. Concorde Capital: Eurotranstelecom is a JV of Ukrzaliznytsia (Ukraine’s national railway company) and its Russian counterpart, Russian Railroads. The former management of Ukrzaliznytsia said its own network will be able to compete with Ukrtelecom’s network in the LD data transfer segment. Eurotranstelecom is unlikely to create a competitor to UTEL’s developed network in local data transfer services, but it could become an alternative international data transfer service provider, if it obtains an international license.