Russian private space company Sputnix is developing satellites that would allow smartphones to connect directly without specialised equipment, TASS reported on April 23.
The company, part of the Sputnix group, plans to develop satellite constellations including new super-high resolution spacecraft, radar satellites and Direct-to-Cell communications satellites, the group's press service said. The Direct-to-Cell format provides direct smartphone connection to satellites without specialised equipment.
Russia's broader satellite programme has faced challenges since 2022 due to sanctions on imports of space technology, with the industry increasingly reliant on domestic supply chains. State space agency Roscosmos has coordinated parallel efforts to maintain Russia's presence in commercial and scientific space activities.
At the end of March, the Ministry of Digital Development said the state commission on radio frequencies had allocated frequency bands to space companies Bureau 1440 and Sputnix to develop domestic communications systems in the smartphone-to-satellite format.
The allocation would allow the connection of smartphones, tablets and Internet of Things sensors.
The push to develop sovereign satellite internet capacity has accelerated in Russia following Western sanctions imposed after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine and as telecoms regulator Roskomnadzor tightens its crackdown on circumvention tools.
Russian users currently face growing payment and access problems across internet services including foreign gaming platforms, banking and small business systems.
The Direct-to-Cell technology mirrors developments at US company SpaceX, which has been rolling out similar satellite services through its Starlink constellation in partnership with mobile operators including T-Mobile US. SpaceX's Starlink service is blocked in Russia.
Bureau 1440, backed by MegaFon-owner USM Holdings, has been working on a Russian low-earth orbit satellite internet constellation intended to rival Starlink. The company has conducted several test launches of its satellites from Russian cosmodromes.
