The agreement provides for using satellite resources and infrastructure of Konnect Russia to allow RTCOMM promote the Maritime VSAT service and offer satellite solutions to all categories of Russian users including sea and river vessels.

The agreement has been signed to improve the services in the market satellite communication and particularly enable network designing and control through application of up-to-date standards and advanced methods. Under the partnership, the parties agree to ensure permanent interaction of technical specialists for experience exchange and proficiency enhancement as well as to use commercial data for the purposes foreseen by the document. The agreement is valid for 12 months from its signing.

“Since Konnect Russia is the leading operator of Ka-band satellite communications with its own well developed satellite infrastructure, our partnership agreement will allow for a considerable expansion of the footprint of RTCOMM’s satellite solutions”, Sergey Ratiyev, General Director of RTCOMM, said at the ceremony of signing the agreement .

According to him, this segment in Russia currently numbers some 1,100 ships and it will increase with the ships under construction, which can be provided with communication services by RTCOMM and Konnect.

“Communication channels used for security purposes are of low capacity on most ships, - explained Sergey Ratiyev. – Many industries have shown a leap forward driven by digital technologies. It is a point of growth for sea and river vessels”.

Dmitry Bronner, General Director of Konnect Russia, said in his turn that Konnect has been Russia’s first company to introduce USB high-speed satellite communication for moving objects.  

“RTCOMM is our strategic partner which has a long experience and understanding of the marine and river market and which shares our strivings to make the internet available for the maximum number of clients. Our company is a global player with 38 geo-based satellites enabling us offer our services across the globe. In Russia, we partner with respected companies and we jointly operate a satellite with Russian Satellite Communication Company.  Our satellite is based on a state-of-the-art technology allowing for using a relatively compact and cheap equipment and offer high-speed Internet access in the marine and river communication segment. Together with RTCOMM we hope that the agreement will facilitate the market development and contribute to providing of new services”, said Dmitry Bronner.

According to him, tens of thousands of ships use the satellite communication with only 25% of the total number having broadband access.

“As for the civil fleet communication market, it is growing by few percent points while the market of broadband Internet access shows the growth by dozens percent points per year. Our company strives to provide satellite communication services to as many users as possible, regardless of their geographic location, including remote regions. That is possible owing to high characteristics of our satellite constellation as well as to a thoroughly developed price policy enabling telecom operators to work flexibly in the market of broadband Internet access services”, said Dmitry Bronner.

RTCOMM (a 100% subsidiary of Rostelecom) is the largest operator of the satellite communications market in Russia. According to ComNews Research, RTCOMM is the leader as of the end of 2020, in terms of the number of connected subscribers among the largest Russian VSAT operators. Having one of the most extensive satellite networks in Russia, RTCOMM provides communication services to clients in any hard-to-reach places and in remote areas where cellular and wire telecommunications are underdeveloped or are not available at all.

RTCOMM systematically develops and implements modern satellite solutions in the interests of the state and all categories of clients. Strong partnerships with big businesses and telecom operators are the foundation of the company's dynamic development. Actively contributing to the development of the satellite communications market in Russia, RTCOMM provides access to high-speed satellite Internet under the SenSat brand.

Another area that RTCOMM is actively developing is the Maritime VSAT service. Today it is in demand among all categories of clients whose activities are related to maritime shipping.

Konnect Russia (Eutelsat Networks LLC) is the fastest growing operator of satellite communication holding leadership in terms of gross adds in Russia’s segment of satellite internet. According to ComNews Research,  Konnect Russia accounted for 59% of the market growth in 2020. The company is Russian communication operator, a subsidiary of Eutelsat S.A., the leading communication service provider in Europe, one of three major communication service providers worldwide. Konnect offers broadband satellite services in Europe and in Africa as well.