Communication justifies the means.
Providing construction sites with the widest possible range of services, including communications, is not only a response to the needs of potential buyers, but also an opportunity to economically and effectively solve some of the complex issues faced by developers.
“COMSTAR – United TeleSystems”, the largest provider of telecommunications services in Russia, pays serious attention to the development of communication systems for residential and commercial real estate and is actively working on the creation of “intelligent building” systems, where all networks and resources are managed using communication networks.
Indeed, an integrated and fully automated infrastructure that creates comfort, saves energy resources and manages all business processes is the dream of operators in the Russian real estate market. Unfortunately, it is currently being solved by different participants in this market.
From a technical point of view, the database available to COMSTAR-OTS makes it possible to reduce developers’ costs for the telecommunications component of projects today, and, accordingly, reduce the costs of future residents or tenants.
Today, the company significantly increases the acceptable return on investment period for projects and actually provides loans to partners, solving one of the main problems of the developer — the limited initial investment.
In addition to the actual telephony projects, COMSTAR — OTS provides the developer with a number of additional services, taking into account the specifics of the customer's business. For example, even at the construction stage, to solve the developer's current problems, the company provides him with any number of telephone numbers.
Of particular importance in the production cycle is the operator's ability to take on interaction with regulatory authorities and independently obtain permits and prepare the relevant documentation, in terms of providing the facility with telecommunications services, for handing over the real estate to the acceptance committee.
In cooperation with developers, COMSTAR — OTS carries out a range of works on the development, coordination and documentary support of the project, carries out the construction of external and internal cable communications, installation of the necessary equipment, further maintenance and support of end users.
Currently, COMSTAR — United TeleSystems operates in the residential and commercial real estate market in several directions: promotion in the cottage construction market, development of three-way interaction with both construction organizations and integrators for the creation of automated buildings, as well as establishing contacts with Moscow developers carrying out construction in other cities.
The participation of COMSTAR-OTS in the automation of buildings consists of the construction of a communications infrastructure, with the help of which it is possible to manage the systems that provide the “life support” of a building. On the basis of the company’s transport network, it is possible to combine the networks of several developer’s facilities or connect the next facility to a group of buildings it already has.
However, one important point should be noted here. Despite the fact that COMSTAR – United TeleSystems is a supplier of a wide range of integrated services, the problems of unifying the building’s utility networks require the involvement of specialized companies – system integrators.
Based on its own NGN network, COMSTAR-OTS creates a modern communications infrastructure as a basis for combining engineering systems, but without the involvement of integrators who are able to correctly formulate the requirements for their construction, taking into account the planned level of automation of the building and determine the need to attract additional contractors to implement the project, it is difficult.
The logic of cooperation between COMSTAR-OTS and the client is quite simple: the owner of the building does not order anything and does not pay anything to the communications operator.
The company builds its own business process focused on tenants, who are the direct clients of the company. The developer invests in the building, COMSTAR-OTS — in communication systems.
The operator acts as a co-investor – it determines the required set of services, builds external networks and input to the building, lays internal distribution networks, purchases and installs the necessary equipment.
The owner of the building, in turn, allocates space for the communication node, provides power supply, grounding, air conditioning, provides embedded structures and informs tenants about the communication operator.
All problems related to the telephony of the building “COMSTAR – OTS” takes on itself – approval of permits, obtaining technical conditions and work permits, project approval, network construction, etc.
Cooperation with the owner of the property can begin at any stage of construction. But the earlier (best of all at the design stage), the more efficient the process will be and the less expensive the project will be for the investor.
The most inconvenient stage for starting construction is a finished building with unprepared telecommunications infrastructure.
A serious problem may be the lack of special premises for placing communication equipment, the lack or insufficiency of embedded parts for laying cables.
It happens that in order to implement a telecommunications network, it is necessary to disturb the already finished decoration of the premises.
It is possible that the operator, in this case “COMSTAR – OTS”, comes to the site with a ready infrastructure, organized by the operating company or the developer’s own communication operator.
Working with developers and owners of shopping and entertainment centers has its own specifics — these facilities are similar to class «C» business centers in terms of the structure of services consumed.
As a rule, tenants of these facilities choose the standard package of services «telephony + Internet» — «COMSTAR — OTS» organizes for them from one to five telephone lines and an ADSL channel.
However, the volume of consumption of services at such facilities in total is high, which predetermines the features of constructing a distribution network inside the building and the need to install a powerful PBX.
In shopping and entertainment centers, COMSTAR-OTS installs Wi-Fi solutions, as well as WEB-payphones to provide wireless Internet access for employees and visitors.
The services listed above are a kind of “basic” solution for shopping and entertainment facilities, developed on the basis of the company’s extensive experience in implementing similar projects.
However, the technological solutions used by the company in organizing the infrastructure allow COMSTAR-OTS to implement a full range of the most modern telecommunications solutions that may be needed to organize communication systems, including some unique ones.
For example, COMSTAR-OTS offers its clients a service for organizing intra-office networks based on Wi-Fi technology, which allows providing the client's personnel with mobile communications at fixed-line rates.
Shopping and entertainment complex «Shchuka»
The company «COMSTAR — OTS» acted as a contractor for the organization of telecommunications infrastructure in the shopping and entertainment complex «Shchuka». The total area of the complex is:
100,000 sq. m.
Large tenants:
«Karo Film» movie theater, «Alye Parusa» supermarket, «Detsky Mir» store.
The 5th category SCS was built by the customer.
The following work is being performed within the framework of the project:
• construction of external networks;
• organization of a communication node;
• maintenance of the distribution network;
• provision of communication services to tenants and the customer (operating company).
Multifunctional complex “Neglinnaya Plaza”
The company “COMSTAR – OTS” acted as a contractor for the organization of telecommunications infrastructure in the multifunctional complex “Neglinnaya Plaza”, which includes a class “A” business center, retail space and residential apartments.
The total area of the complex is about 70,000 sq. m.
The following works are being carried out within the framework of the project:
• construction of two independent cable entries;
• laying of fiber-optic cable from two independent automatic telephone exchanges;
• organization of a communication node;
• design and construction of a vertical distribution network.
At the request of the investor, a copper cable will be laid in the residential part of the complex to provide telephone services to residents from OJSC MGTS.
To ensure reliable communication, the company «COMSTAR — OTS» builds fiber-optic communication lines from two independent automatic telephone exchanges. As a rule, this is done in buildings where the operator is the exclusive supplier of telecommunications services or at large facilities. In some cases, this is a customer requirement.
To provide a full range of telecommunications services and cable television services, a communications center has been organized, and vertical distribution networks have been designed and built in the residential and business parts of the complex. In the business center and the retail part, a network of excess bandwidth is initially created, providing, if necessary, the possibility of scaling services in terms of the set of services and volumes of their consumption.
When designing a distribution network, the number of apartments is taken into account. With a focus on apartment subscribers, who traditionally use not only telephone and Internet services, but also cable television, a separate coaxial network is organized in the residential part of the complex.
About the company
JSC COMSTAR — United TeleSystems was created by merging the business of the subsidiary telecommunications companies of AFK Sistema — the communications operators Telmos and MTU — Inform — on the basis of CJSC COMSTAR. In November 2005, in the context of consolidation of AFK Sistema's business in the fixed-line communications segment under the brand name COMSTAR — United TeleSystems, the company acquired a controlling stake in CJSC Telmos, CJSC Company MTU-Inform, CJSC MTU — Intel and OJSC MGTS. Today, COMSTAR – United TeleSystems is the largest multi-service communications operator in Moscow and the Moscow region, also providing communications services in some regions of Russia and the CIS. The company’s consolidated revenue for 2006 was $1.12 billion, net profit – $178.1 million. COMSTAR – United TeleSystems’ securities are admitted to trading on the Moscow and London Stock Exchanges (MSE) under the ticker CMST.