Satellite internet subscribers in Russia pass 5,000

RSCC’s Zheleznogorsk satellite control facility

More than 5,000 Russians now access subscribe to Ka-band satellite internet access, with a “mass market” for satellite broadband services emerging in the country, according to the Russian Satellite Communication Company (RSCC).

The Russian state satellite operator currently offers internet services in the European part of Russia using its Ka-Sat satellite at 9° East, but from the first quarter of 2015 will also extend this to residents in the Far East and Siberia and from the from the second half of 2015 to the central and south Ural regions of Russia.

This will be supported by the Express-AM5 spacecraft that is already operating at 140˚ East and the future Express-AM6, which is due to launch this autumn.

“Once all the network segments have been brought on line, users will be granted satellite broadband access to information resources at any location across Russia from Kaliningrad to Kamchatka, at very attractive prices, absolutely regardless whether there are any cable connections available in a household,” said deputy director general for innovative development at RSCC, Evgeny Buydinov.