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Russian regions to have unlimited satellite internet

The Izvestia daily learned from the state-run Satellite Communication Company about its agreement with Eutelsat on rent of certain capacities of the Ka-Sat satellite

MOSCOW, July 22 (Itar-Tass) - In several months’ time, Russian regions will have unlimited satellite Internet.

The Izvestia daily learned from the state-run Satellite Communication Company about its agreement with Eutelsat on rent of certain capacities of the Ka-Sat satellite. Beginning from the upcoming autumn, the capacities will be sufficient for 70,000 users.

As Russia launches, as planned, several satellites within the coming year, access to the Internet will be possible to about half a million users throughout Russia’s territory, the newspaper writes.

Under the agreement, Russian VSAT operators also received a right to sell services of Ka-Sat. at the same time, the access to the Internet will comply with the Russian legislation - the satellite communicates with the ground stations in Dubna, and the sites, which Roskomnadzor has put on a black list, will not be accessible for users.

Until now, not a single Russian operator could offer mass unlimited access to the Internet.

Satellite Communication’s press service said the company had signed agreements with four dealers. Besides, it organises now ground infrastructures for a wide-band access in the Ka band with use of promising space apparatuses Express-AM5/AM6/AM4R. They are due to be launched in late 2013 - early 2014.

The set of hardware for access to the satellite Internet costs now about 20 thousand roubles. Prices for unlimited tariffs /where speed may be limited at certain point/ will start from 1.2 thousand roubles.

Experts told the Izvestia that the contract between Eutelsat and Satellite Communication would cost about one million dollars a year.

Eutelsat is France’s satellite operator, owner of Europe’s biggest fleet of space apparatuses. Satellite Communication manages Russia’s biggest civil-purpose satellite group, the company is the official Russian partner for foreign satellite communication operators.