HDTV Hits Russia

First it was Coca Cola and KFC, now the land of rampant capitalism is to have yet another symbol of western imperialist decadence, HDTV via broadband.

The Russian Comstar group, through its United TeleSystems, is to roll out HDTV across the nation.

It seems like only yesterday that people used to join a day long queue without knowing if it was for bread or soap.

These days eager Russians will hopefully be lining up to receive high quality TV pictures.

The system will be launched in nearly 70 cities across Russia, including the capital Moscow, with new much higher speed connections of up to an impressive 20mbps.

The launch will also encompass STREAM the new HDTV service.

Moscow will be the main beneficiary and then other cities that have modernised a MGTS network.

In a chicken and egg situation the company hopes that new subscribers will provide extra cash to improve the system in areas that need modernisation, who will then intern sign up for HDTV, and so on.

The company is also funding considerable modernisation with what are known as fibre-to-the-curb installations. They hope to complete the work by the end of next year.

The cost of watching Da Simpzkons in all their HDTV glory will not be cheap by Russian standards, costing from $36US to $40US per month for the broadband connection.

On top of that there are various packages for TV ranging from $8 per month and pay per view movies at $4 each. Another package offers 10mbps broadband and HDTV for $50.

The company believe that by the end of the modernisation, 80% of their customers will be able to make use of HDTV services.

Hard to imagine Stalin would have been in favour of HD MTV for the Russian masses.

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