The Service and how it is provided

The Dial-Public Service ("The Service") is aimed at the physical persons (users) and the legal entities (Subscribers) who need dial-up access to the global Internet network using a modem connected to a PSTN analogue subscriber's line.

The Service is intended for the telephone network subscribers in Moscow in the first place. The Service can be accessed from other cities, too, via subscriber trunk dialing facility.

Depending on the type of a modem which a customer/user is using, and the quality of the switched connection, the equipment used by Comstar is capable of setting up data rate of up to 56 kbps over a dial-up access section using the V.90 protocol.

The Service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

As part of the Service, the customers/users can create as many e-mail boxes and WEB-sites as they like.

The total capacity of memory resources allocated per mail box and its associated WEB-site amounts to 3 Mbps.

Also, as part of the Service, the customers/users are provided with access to the Comstar USENET Teleconference Server.

Such features as sending e-mail, managing the created WEB-sites, accessing the Comstar USENET Teleconference Server are only available via the Service Access Server and as part of the chargeable Service usage sessions.

The incoming e-mail can be read via both the Service Access Server as part of the chargeable Service usage sessions and when calling an e-mail box from the global Internet network.

For customer/user convenience, the incoming e-mail can be forwarded from the registered mail boxes to different e-mail addresses within the Internet.

The e-mail coming to the mail boxes can be stored for 60 days for its subsequent reading by the customers/users. Once read, the e-mail is deleted automatically.

The Service is charged

on a per-minute basis,
in this case its cost depends solely on the duration of a communication session, which is determined by a customer/user, and does not depend on which specific service a customer/user is using. The extent to which the Service is provided depends on how much a customer/user paid for it. The money is drawn down from the customer's account code at the moment of ending the communication session.

based on fixed tariffs,
  in this case a subscriber pays a pre-payment, which is set by the existing Comstar tariffs, and can use the Service during the time of the day specified by the fixed tariff regardless of the duration of the Service usage sessions, until the fixed tariff validity period expires. During the other time of the day the Service will be provided until the access hours, included in the fixed tariff, are fully used. The record of the used access hours, included in the selected by the Subscriber fixed tariff, will be kept on per-minute basis.

In order to pay for the Service based on the fixed tariff a customer must register on the Comstar Information Server the starting date of the fixed tariff validity and its duration and also to confirm the draw-down of money from the customer's account code for the Service paid for on the basis of the fixed tariff. In this case the money will be drawn down from the customer's account code at the moment when the customer registers on the Comstar Information Server the validity period of the fixed tariff.

A customer/user is expected to set up his/her hardware/software, used to get access the Service, himself/herself.
Comstar does not impose any major restrictions on the hardware/software which the customers/users are using.
The following standard hardware/software is recommended to the customers/users:

• A Computer with an Intel compatible processor and enough resources (RAM and cache memory, HDD capacity, video modes) to support operability of the Operating System and Application Programmes used for access to Internet.
• Microsoft Windows 95 Operating System or later (Windows NT 4.0, Windows 98, Windows 2000) with Dial-Up Networking option. 
• An analogue modem with a Type Approval Certificate issued by the Ministry of Communications of the RF, for working in PSTN environment (a modem capable of supporting the V.90 protocol is recommended). 
• Software for a browser with e-mail functionality and Internet-file working, capable of supporting standard common protocols to exchange IP-traffic (HTTP, FTP, POP3, SMTP).

Refer to Section "Instructions and Recommendations to the Dial-Public Service Customers/Users" for advice on how to set up the above hardware/software.

When the money on the Account Code has been fully utilized, provision of the Service charged for on a per-minute basis is suspended until the customer/user replenishes the balance of that Account Code. The established communication sessions will be forcibly terminated from the Information Server's end at the moment when the money on the customer's account code has been fully utilized.

If no money is available on the Account Code, then a customer/user when accessing the Service, will always be able to view the balance of the Account Code, the statistics of the registered periods of fixed tariffs validity (the periods' validity starting and ending dates, the cost, status and the registration time), to display the payment order form for payment through the Savings Bank and/or input the number of a Comstar Internet-Card to replenish the balance of his account code and also to use the Service during the registered and paid periods of fixed tariffs validity.

If the Service has not been used for more than 6 months since the last session, then the Service Access Identifier is cancelled automatically, and the provision of the Service on that Identifier is ceased. In that case the Service can only be re-activated by registering a new Identifier as a new customer/user.

A registered e-mail box, if not used for more than 6 months since last called for reading, sending or forwarding the e-mail, is cancelled automatically.

If there have been no WEB-site contents management sessions for more than 6 months in succession, then the respective WEB-site is cancelled automatically.

A customer/user, with the objective to prevent instances of unauthorized use of other's names and passwords (identifiers) by the Internet users to gain access to the Service, can only change his / her identifier (password) at the time of his / her direct connection to the Comstar Modem Pool.

How to enter into an Agreement for the use of the Dial-Public Service

The Service is provided to the physical persons - Comstar customers in accordance with the "Terms and Conditions of the Provision of the Dial-Public Service to the CJSC Comstar Users" which are published on the Comstar Information Server. A customer agrees to enter into an Agreement on the "Terms and Conditions of the Provision of the Dial-Public Service to the CJSC Comstar Users" by way of registration on the Comstar Information Server which becomes possible only after the familiarization with the "Terms and Conditions of the Provision of the Dial-Public Service to the CJSC Comstar Users", which is confirmed by the customer during the process of registration.
If the customer's registration is made by a Comstar representative, the customer will express his agreement with the terms and conditions of the Agreement by paying for the service in accordance with the procedure established by the terms and conditions of the Agreement.

The Service is provided to legal entities in accordance with the "Agreement on the Provision of the Dial-Public Service" signed by duly authorized representatives of the parties.

Agreements with the legal entities are signed in accordance with the standard procedure. For getting documents you can contact the Comstar Office at: 6, 1st Golutvinsky Per., 119180 Moscow; telephone: 956 2291, 956 1718, fax: 956 2290.