MoscowÕs largest Internet provider MTU-Intel, part of the MTU-Inform group, announced the introduction on February 1 of new rates for dial-up access to the Internet. The new rates are lower than the old ones by an average of 20%. The new rate for dial-up access during the day (from 9:30am to 8:00pm) is .75 USD/hr in place of the previous .90 USD/hr, and at night (from 2:00am to 9:30am) .35 USD/hr in place of .45 USD/hr. The rates for evening hours (from 8:00pm to 2:00am) remain at 90 USD/hr.

These rates are for Internet access now provided by "callback" technology (modem pool 721-33-11) This service allows customers to avoid time rates for their telephone connection while using dial-up Internet services, since the providerÕs server initializes the connection with the customers computer itself. Previously, the rates for "callback" service was 1.05 USD/hr during the day, and .45 USD/hr at night. Access to the Internet through the modem pool 105-55-55, providing a higher quality connection, has been lowered from 1.5 USD/hr to 1.2 USD/hr. 10 hours during the course of 30 calendar days through this modem pool now costs 11 USD (the old price Ð 13 USD), and 50 hours during the course of 45 calendar days is now 50 USD (the old price Ð 55 USD).

MTU-IntelÕs introduction of new rates is traditionally a significant event in the Moscow Internet service market. Being the largest Internet provider in the capitalÕs market, having a current count of over 150 thousand dial-up subscribers, and owning the largest modem pool in the country with more than 4000 connection lines, MTU-IntelÕs rates are rightfully considered the standard in its sector of the market. MTU-Intel and MTU-Inform have always tried to offer services to its users at the most affordable prices. After the crisis of August 1998, MTU- Inform, in an attempt to support Moscow Internet users, introduced some of the lowest rates on the market (.9 USD/hr day and .45 USD/hr night), and by that same token determined the level of rates for dial-up Internet services in Moscow. These same prices were in effect at MTU-Intel, the heir to MTU-Inform in the sphere of dial-up services, right up to this day.

"Our company does not often change its basic rates for Internet access," general director of MTU-Intel, Nikolai Repin, said. "Observing the growth dynamics of our subscriber base and the total growth of user Internet traffic, we are now able to significantly lower rates, while at the same