On 5th March the first point of telephone communication universal services provision in the Republic of Komi – a universal servicing payphone  – was opened in the village of Lezym of Syktyvdinsky District. Resident of the village Alexandr Petrovich Petrunyov, to whom his daughter Yelena gave a phone call from Novosibirsk, has become the first user of the universal service.

General Manager of OJSC North-West Telecom Vladimir Akulich, Minister of Industry and Power Engineering of the Republic Nikolay Gerasimov, Head of Syktyvdinsky District Arthur Rudolf and Head of the Lezym village Nikolay Martynov took part in the ceremony of opening the first universal servicing payphone in the Republic of Komi. 

Introduction of universal telephone communication services is one of publicly significant national projects implemented by OJSC N.W.Telecom in the Republic of Komi in active cooperation with the regional state authorities.  This project is aimed at implementing article 57 of the Federal Law "On Telecommunications", which provides for that at least one payphone with free access to emergency services must be installed in each settlement. 

In December 2006 OJSC North-West Telecom was recognized the winner of the competition for the right of providing universal telephone communication services using payphones in the territory of the Republic of Komi. According to the terms of the competition, 616 universal payphones will be installed in 607 settlements of the region.

Universal servicing payphones are installed in convenient public places according to the requirements and rules of providing universal communication services. A distinguishing feature of such payphones is that they can be used not only to give a phone call – a free incoming call can be received by them, too.  Each payphone is given a telephone number, which is indicated on the rules of using the set.

Payment for payphone communication services is effected using payphone cards that can be bought at clients servicing centers of OJSC N.W.Telecom. The per minute rate of a local telephone connection in the Republic of Komi is 51 kopecks, while the price of calls in the Republic is 2 roubles and 50 kopecks per minute.   Long-distance and international calls are charged for at the rates of telecommunications operators. 

In his welcoming speech at the ceremony of opening the first universal servicing payphone in Komi V.A. Akulich, General Manager of OJSC NWT, noted the importance of the event and said: "Fulfilling the terms of the competitions, we will provide telephone communication using universal payphones to all settlements of the Northwestern Federal District within the next year or two. This is a complex, socially important task, that our Company consciously undertakes, understanding that each resident of Russia must have access to communication services. Now, residents of the remote village of Lezym will be able to get telephone communication services using a universal payphone, too."

The ceremony of opening the first point of telephone communication universal services provision in the Republic – a universal servicing payphone – was accompanied by traditional festivities, folk songs and became a lively holiday for the village.