Countries that Russia sees as friends interested in Russian satellite communication as alternative to Starlink - minister

MOSCOW. Oct 3 (Interfax) - Countries with which Russia has friendly relations are interested in using Russia's low-orbit satellite constellation to have Internet access as an alternative to Starlink, Russian Digital Development Minister Maksut Shadayev said.

OJSC Bureau 1440 is pursuing a project for building a low-orbit satellite constellation to provide broadband Internet access.

The constellation should number 292 spacecraft in orbit by 2027 to provide fast and cheap Internet access all over Russian territory, "as well as actually all over the world," Shadayev said.

"The availability of services is determined by local regulations. For instance, as you know, Starlink is not available in our country. Therefore, we're conducting major consultations with friendly countries, and all of them are very much interested in having our constellation at least as an alternative to Starlink. We hope it's going to have great export potential. However, we're thinking now chiefly about how we can satisfy all of our own needs," Shadayev said at a State Duma Information Policy Committee meeting on Thursday.

The construction of such a satellite system in Russia would not only fully solve the problem of providing fast and cheap Internet connection all over the country, but would also make it available on board moving objects, such as trains, planes, and so on.