Moscow Wi-Fi network project enters test stage

[Mercury]

Dang! I used to own moscowwifi.com. Sigh! :(

Moscow Wi-Fi network project enters test stage
To be largest wireless network in Europe

December 20, 2006 (Network World) -- MOSCOW -- Golden Telecom Inc., an integrated telecommunications and Internet service provider operating in Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States, has announced the start of a Wi-Fi city network beta-testing project in Moscow.

The project is being carried out within the broadband network service development program for the mass market. Golden Telecom’s management are convinced that realizing this long-term strategy will ensure the company’s leading position as a broadband Internet access provider using wire-connected and wireless technologies.

Currently the operator is also laying a fiber-optic channel that will service a few dozens of Russian cities and towns. According to iKS-Consulting, the territory the channel covers has a population of 63.5 million people, which is about 45% of Russia’s total population.

The Golden Wi-Fi will become the largest wireless network in Europe and second largest in the whole world. In terms of the number of hot spots the Moscow project has outpaced such cities as San-Francisco, Philadelphia and London.

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