NIZHNY NOVGOROD, September 25. /TASS/. The mass implementation of in-flight internet in Russia is set to begin by 2030, coinciding with the large-scale launch of domestically produced aircraft, Alexey Volin, Director General of the Russian Satellite Communications Company (RSCC), told TASS.
"Our forecast is that this will begin to be rolled out widely as Russian-made aircraft enter service. Our projection is that the mass implementation of internet access on board domestic aircraft should begin by 2030," Volin said at the Satcomrus-2026 international conference of satellite communication and broadcasting network operators and users in Russia.
He explained that the foreign aircraft fleets used by Russian companies have pre-installed equipment configured for foreign satellite operators that have exited the Russian market. "However, retrofitting equipment is far more difficult than manufacturing domestic aircraft with the equipment already installed," he explained.
During his presentation at the conference, Volin noted that approximately 1,000 aircraft currently transport 300,000 passengers daily.
"As of today, there is virtually no satellite communication or internet access on board aircraft in the Russian Federation, but we recognize that this is a necessity that must be addressed in any case. Otherwise, Russian companies will be uncompetitive in global competition," the RSCC Director General added.
The 31st International Conference of Satellite Communication and Broadcasting Network Operators and Users in the Russian Federation (Satcomrus-2026) is taking place in Nizhny Novgorod on September 24-25. TASS is the general media partner.