Moscow, Russia– March 14, 2012 – Rostelecom OJSC (MICEX - RTS: RTKM, RTKMP; OTCQX: ROSYY) (“the Company”), Russia’s national telecommunications operator, today announces that as part of a project to develop a national cloud computing platform, it has started building its main data centre in Moscow, which will become the largest in Russia. Rostelecom is planning to invest RUB 10 billion in the project by the end of 2015. The cloud computing platform, which is solely being executed by Rostelecom, is part of the “Informational society 2011-2020” federal programme. 

The new data centre’s computer rooms will span approximately 10,000 square metres with the current size of the building reaching 11,500 square metres. The total area of the centre will be around 40,000 square metres. The project’s generation capacity will amount to 40MW and will be produced before the end of 2012. The data centre’s three-floor modular construction will enable it to quickly increase its capacity when required and reduce unit costs per square metre. The first stage of the new data centre construction, which includes design and construction works, will be completed by the end of 2012 and the first units will start operating in the second half of 2013.

At present, the national cloud computing platform systems are located in seven data centres which are situated in Rostelecom’s macro-regional offices across Russia, with additional spare capacity also available.

As a business model, Cloud technology has significant potential and it enables information technology to be packaged and offered as a service. Another key advantage is the absence of certain costs associated with purchasing, installing, upgrading and maintaining expensive server hardware and software. The main objective of the national cloud computing platform is to increase the ability to share key information and telecommunication services and broad access to it will lead to socio- economic benefits as public and private enterprises use the platform.

Rostelecom’s unique infrastructure, which includes secure communication channels and data centres, as well as its experience in implementing large-scale national projects, mean that the Company is able to successfully accomplish projects of federal and regional scope. Rostelecom is one of the first companies in Russia to create a cloud-based solution and the Company can also use its resources to process and store data when these solutions are implemented.