Well, based on that post, I can think of at least one time Triple J didn't exactly tell the truth.... but.... hey... it's a woman's perogative to change her mind....NOT THIS WOMAN THOUGH...Found this interesting article ......
moscowtimes.ru
| Business Journal |
Thursday, October 1, 1998
Winning the War Against Static
By Masha Hedberg
Bad, crackling connections are a given when making a telephone call in Moscow. Still, thanks to digital overlay companies, dialing a friend is becoming less of an ear-splitting process.
In most countries, making a telephone call is a simple process. You pick up the receiver, punch in the numbers, and say "hello."
Except that in Moscow and Russia in general, it's not that simple. The static that pervades most lines can send you running for a hearing aid. Why are Russian phone lines so poor? The answer lies in a maze of cables winding beneath city streets.
The Moscow City Telephone Network, MGTS, is the primary cable operator for Moscow and its outskirts. Although the company recently modernized many of its switching exchanges and laid miles of fiber-optic cable to improve line quality, much of its network still relies upon old analog switches and copper cables, the majority of which were installed under Stalin and Khrushchev.
This uneven mixture of old and new is what makes dialing via MGTS a game of chance. While it's possible your call will travel smoothly along new lines and safely reach a digital exchange, it's as likely it will trip on a tattered copper cable, be misdirected by an outdated switch, or reach its final destination amid an explosion of crackling and wheezing. While residential users can learn to cope with bad connections and repeated dialing, modern businesses, for whom efficiency and speed are keys to success, cannot afford to lose
precious minutes in battles with
uncooperative telephones.
This is why so many Moscow-based multinational companies and growing Russian firms are switching to private digital overlay providers, such as Comstar, DirectNet, Combellga and Sovintel.
Digital Overlay: The New Frontier
Today there are dozens of private Moscow telecommunication companies offering state-of-the-art services. An overlay network allows calls to bypass the public (MGTS) system, taking an alternate route through fiber-optic cables and digital exchanges owned and run by private providers.
Fiber-optic rings that encircle Moscow, and the exchanges and international gateways connected to these rings, form the backbone of the telecommunication providers. Because of this separate infrastructure that is integrated into but not dependent upon the MGTS system, private telecommunication companies are able to guarantee speedy connections, reliable access and high-quality sound.
Private telecommunication networks have their own external switches that ensure priority exit and instantaneous transmission for international calls. But to call long-distance via the "vosmyorka," MGTS's infamous 8 dial-out code, means fighting for access with millions of people who are just as frantically pushing the 8 button on their telephones. Many providers now have their own codes for incoming calls from abroad, such as the 7-502 (Combellga) and 7-503 (Comstar) codes along with the usual 7- 095.
"I usually recommend that our clients subscribe to a private provider [rather than MGTS] because they are more efficient and more client-oriented," says Olga Buchonina, a real estate consultant at Jones Lang Wooton. "And there's less paperwork involved."
The "paperwork" refers to the often-times cumbersome and time-consuming authorization process involved in setting up MGTS lines due to the company's bureaucracy. Even when large commercial clients are involved, it can take from three to six months for MGTS to install a line, unless the client opts for costly priority service that bumps the price of installation from the usual $1,000-$1,500 to $3,000 per line. A private telecommunications provider, on the other hand, can have dozens of lines up and running in one to two weeks.
Furthermore, private telecommunication companies also have the ability to provide companies with an unlimited number of lines. Although in theory a client can purchase as many MGTS lines as needed, in practice, line availability depends on the geographic location of the company's offices. If a firm is unlucky enough to be situated near one of the older MGTS exchanges, the number of lines it can gain will be curtailed because most of the older switches have reached their maximum line capacity.
Until the recent ruble crisis, the costs of using MGTS and a private provider were comparable. Installation costs, connection fees and monthly service rates charged by private telecommunication companies have decreased over the past few years because of stiff competition. At the same time, MGTS raised its rates, which in the past had consistently failed to cover
operational costs.
Still, price is not necessarily the most important issue for companies when choosing a telecommunications provider. Most businesses are willing to pay a bit more for access to a full range of voice and data services and the latest technology. One of the main advantages of turning to a private provider is that these companies can furnish services that MGTS is usually unable to supply. Hunting groups, or serial-line configurations, that allow several lines to "roll down" behind one lead number and allow in-coming calls to come through without busy signals, are routinely offered by private companies and not by MGTS.
For a company like Avon, which has specialized telephone needs such as a collect-call function to ensure constant and efficient contact with its representatives, MGTS just doesn't cut it.
"We receive a minimum of 800 calls a day from our representatives," says Vladimir Borisov, operations director at Avon's Moscow office. "During peak seasons, this number can reach 1,000. We can't use MGTS because it does not have the technology to provide us with call-collect, which is offered by Sovintel."
The PABX Factor
These days companies looking for telecommunication solutions have several options. For one, a company can pull fiber-optic lines to its premises and connect to a provider's exchange, or it can have the provider install a mini-exchange, known as a PABX (private automatic branch exchange), directly into its offices. It can even buy and install its own PABX.
PABX varies greatly in price and capacity. The smallest model costs about $1,500 and the most high-tech station can run to hundreds of thousands of dollars. A major advantage of PABX is that the station can be programmed to choose "the least-cost route," which is particularly useful to companies using a combination of telecommunication providers, MGTS and private lines. Whether owning a PABX is cost-effective depends upon the company's expected call volume and specific telecommunications needs.
If in doubt, a perspective client can turn to the telecommunication providers, which are more than willing to provide preliminary consultations and design customized solutions tailored to the client's needs.
It's important for companies to realize that heightened competition within the telecommunication sector has not only brought overall costs down, but has made providers more flexible in terms of price negotiation. Though all telecommunication companies have standard listed connection fees and per minute rates, many fees are negotiable and dependent upon the client's monthly call volume and office location.
The closer the company is to an exchange or a "point-of-presence," the lower the cost of installation. Similarly, the higher the monthly telephone traffic, the lower the per-minute tariffs. According to Sergei Strelnikov, a key accounts manager at Combellga, private telecommunication providers, unlike MGTS, will in many instances waive connection fees and even the cost of installing a PABX when dealing with particularly high-call volume clients.
Beating the Competition
In order to keep all options open and to take advantage of the competition between the telecommunication providers, a company should make sure it has access to all of the private companies.
Many of Moscow's recently constructed business centers come with telecommunication providers. Although this may spare a company the trouble of having to solve its telephone needs while moving into a new office, it can lead to problems.
Though many business centers allow rental clients to chose their own provider, there have been instances when a contractor has signed an exclusive agreement with a particular telecommunications network, excluding all other providers from the premises. In such instances, unsuspecting clients may be stuck permanently with a telecommunication system that does not fully suit their needs or is not cost-effective.
Be on the Lookout
When moving into a new building or business center, it's crucial for companies to scrutinize leases before signing.
"Read the fine print," says Andrew Yao, director of global accounts at DirectNet. "Make sure you don't get tied to an agreement that restricts your ability to chose your own company's network."
The configuration of the market is likely to change in the future. MGTS has finished the first stage of its ambitious "golden bullet" project that when completed will form a digital loop around Moscow and provide an estimated 1 million new state-of-the-art lines. At present, though, for businesses looking for more than just POTS, which in telecommunication lingo means "plain old telephone service," private providers have a lot to offer.
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