Mintsifra discusses with the government a ban on the purchase of services from foreign owners of satellites

The Ministry of Digital Development is discussing with the government the idea of ​​banning all operators from purchasing satellite access services from foreign enterprises. It is assumed that this will support the stable operation of Russian TV and the Internet. At the same time, tariffs for the use of Russian satellite constellations – GCS and RSCC – are proposed to be increased, which will give them the opportunity to increase investment in development. Satellite TV broadcasters say the transition from foreign to Russian satellites should be smooth.

“Kommersant” got acquainted with the presentation of the Ministry of Digital Development, which was presented during the discussion of the development strategy for the communications industry until 2035 at a session with the participation of Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin. It follows from the document that by 2030 the degradation of the satellite constellation of communications, Internet access and broadcasting is possible. In particular, by this year, the Ministry of Digital Development warns, out of 12 satellites of FSUE “Space Communications” 7 will have completed their life, while foreign constellations in non-geostationary low orbits will have more than 10 thousand broadband access satellites.

Among the possible consequences are failures in the operation of the system of presidential, government and special satellite communications, federal digital television, the inaccessibility of communications in a significant part of the Arctic zone of Russia, the dominance of a foreign satellite constellation, the inability to meet the needs of the country’s economy with modern communications services, etc.

To develop the satellite communications market, the Ministry of Digital Development proposes to increase the tariffs of the RSCC (FSUE Kosmicheskaya Svyaz) by 2.5 times, as well as introduce a ban on the acquisition of satellite access from foreign groups. The Ministry of Digital Development told Kommersant that the proposal was relevant: “The requirement should apply to both state-owned companies and private ones. For the stable operation of the Internet and TV, our providers must work through our domestic devices.”

Among the foreign satellite operators traditionally operating in Russia, the shareholder of KAI Internet, Sergey Pekhterev, lists Intelsat, JSAT, Eutelsat and ABS: they provide capacity for organizing communication networks and broadcasting. ABS, for example, provides TV broadcasting for MTS subscribers. The largest Russian owners of the satellite constellation are FSUE Kosmicheskaya Svyaz (owns a constellation of 12 satellites of the Express series) and Gazprom Space Systems (GKS, 5 satellites of the Yamal series).

In addition, Bureau 1440 (part of ICS Holding) is developing projects in the field of satellite communications. The company intends to launch 700 low-orbit communications satellites by 2035 to provide broadband Internet access. Sitronics also plans to put 157 spacecraft into orbit by 2025, which will perform tasks in the field of remote sensing of the earth, ship navigation, the Internet of things, etc.

Mr. Pekhterev sees the Mintsifra’s intentions to increase regulated tariffs for Cosmic Communications customers as logical. “The creation and launch of new satellites into orbit requires money, and due to sanctions and the departure of Western manufacturers, the cost of the boards will be higher, respectively, it is necessary to fill the RSCC budget by increasing those tariffs that are set by the state and are below the market level,” he says, adding that measures to ban the use of foreign satellites may lead to replenishment of the budgets of RSCC and GCC.

At the same time, the sanctions have significantly affected the capabilities of Russian enterprises for the production of satellites, as noted in the draft “Strategy for the Development of the Communications Industry in the Russian Federation for 2024-2035”. The document says that, “taking into account the geopolitical situation,” there is now no possibility of supplying key foreign equipment and components for the creation of domestic spacecraft, which previously accounted for more than 80% in domestic communications spacecraft.

In Tricolor, Kommersant was told that they had a positive attitude towards the government’s initiative. “But it is necessary to take into account important nuances, the main of which is the limited frequency resource for both Russian and foreign broadcasters. By excluding the international resource for ourselves, we limit the pool of choice, which will affect the development of the market and the availability of broadcasters’ services for the end consumer,” they specified. The company added that the development and adaptation of technologies in Russia to the current realities will take “significantly more than three to five years”, since at the moment Russian players do not have sufficient technological and economic base of their own.

Nikita Korolev