Comstar, the largest integrated telecommunications provider in Russia and CIS, has deployed Airspan's WiMAX equipment to create a combined fixed and mobile network. The network, which currently comprises 24 base stations, covers Yerevan and 18 additional cities, offering Armenian residents and businesses high-speed Internet, VoIP, video conferencing and mobile services.

During the ceremony, the Presidents of both States participated in a real-time two-way video conference with a medical diagnostics center and were briefed on a pilot deployment for mobile WiMAX in the city of Armavir. Both the video link and the mobile deployment are enabled via Mobile WiMAX links supported by Airspan's EasyST indoor subscriber stations.

Sergey Pridantsev, President and Chief Executive Officer of Comstar UTS, commented: "This national WiMAX network is a unique project for Armenia, and one of the first projects of its kind worldwide. Airspan was able to supply us with a superior solution to meet our requirements, enabling us to deliver modern communications services that help improve quality of life as well as bring telephony services and broadband internet access to some homes for the first time ever."

"We are very proud to partner with Comstar in such a revolutionary project," stated Anders Rendahl, Airspan's Senior Vice President & General Manager EMEA. "The attendance of the Presidents of Russia and Armenia to this ceremony only highlights the importance of the life-changing effects a network such as this can have on a country like Armenia. We look forward to further expansion of the Comstar network in 2009 and to continuing to help revolutionize fixed and mobile communications in this important and growing economy."