Svetlana Bachurina, Executive Director of ZAO ER-Telecom Holding in Naberezhnye Chelny and Nizhnelamsk

Three years ago, at the launch of the project in Naberezhnye Chelny and Nizhnekamsk, everything was different. A new player in the occupied and split market. New products and brands unfamiliar to the customers. But in just three years ER-Telecom has become an absolute leader in broadband and cable TV markets in both cities.

Being a leader means double responsibility. It is not enough for the company just to acquire the subscriber base, it is crucial to retain it under pressure from competitors seeking to win back their positions. However, ER-Telecom always took advantage in its very high service quality, and the toughening of market competition will allow for the continuous improvement of service quality, making the company always one step ahead of others in this area.

By chance or not, it is in Naberezhnye Chelny that the millionth broadband subscriber of the whole ER-Telecom Holding was connected in the beginning of February 2009. 1,000,000 families in 17 Russian cities use our internet connection – is it much or not? I cannot say… But I know for sure – for us it is just the beginning.

According to the recently adopted long-term strategy of the company’s development, by 2014 ER-Telecom will become the leader of Russian broadband and cable TV markets with at least 20% share in terms of revenues. Currently ER-Telecom has operations in 22 Russian cities, another 90 are regarded as possible targets. This means that in the remaining 3 years we have to build from scratch networks in the new cities and become absolute leaders there. And we know how to do it. We have done so 17 times already.

Now ER-Telecom is on the brink of a new stage in its development. The economic downturn of 2009 has been left behind, but it let us focus on long-term planning and strengthening of our positions in the cities of presence. Large-scale construction and new cities wait ahead. We have both resources and technology to execute these grand projects. But what is most important – we have hundreds of highly proficient experts, who know how to move from the very first subscribers to the leadership!