Kazakhtelecom and Siemens agree on laying eastern fiber optic communication line

/IRBIS, Sept 5, 01/ - Great silk road world news agency informs that yesterday, the CEOs of Kazakhtelecom and Siemens ICN signed a document certifying the completion of the 2,473km western fibre-optic line Shymkent-Kyzylorda-Aqtobe-Atyrau-Russian border. Aben Bektasov, Kazakhtelecom CEO, says the western line is the most efficient telecommunication route in Central Asia and second segment of the 10,000km national information super main line. The line made it possible for Kazakhtelecom to create a digital network connecting 23 rural centers with regional centers and to install new digital automatic telephone exchanges in 15 regions of the country. To implement the project, Siemens rendered a 5- year loan of DM 59m to Kazakhtelecom under the guarantees of the national telecommunications operator. The project is expected to be repaid in about 4.5 years.