Wanting people to use ‘domestic’ goods, Russia consider a fine for users of SpaceX’s Internet service Starlink

Russia’s legislature, the State Duma, is considering fines for individuals and companies in the country that use Western satellite Internet services. The proposed law is intended to prevent Internet access using the Starlink service of SpaceX, OneWeb or other space satellite systems not developed by Russia.

According to a recent report in Popular Mechanics magazine, the proposed penalty ranges from 10,000 to 30,000 rubles (about 135- 405 USD) for the average user and 500,000 to 1 million rubles (from 6,750 USD to 13,500 USD) USD) for legal entities using Western satellite services.

A Falcon 9 rocket puts a satellite of the Starlink system into orbit on August 18, 2020.

Also in this Russian-language article, members of the Duma affirmed that independent Internet access would bypass the government’s surveillance system for Internet usage and mobile communications. As part of the tight control over media and communications, all Russian Internet traffic must go through a government media provider.

In fact, it is not too surprising that Russia will take steps to block the Starlink service, as the director of the Russian Federal Space Agency, Dmitry Rogozin, has always seen SpaceX as a major rival in the space sector.

Rogozin has criticized both NASA and the US Department of Defense for subsidizing SpaceX through government contracts. Although it is true that SpaceX has received missile launch contracts from the US government worth several billion dollars, but it is clear that it offers launch services at significantly low prices compared to other providers. Recently, Rogozin said that Starlink is also a plan to provide an uninterrupted communication system to US Special Forces.

“Starlink is part of the powerful, smart, predatory high-tech policy of the United States, which has been using all of this enthusiasm to drive, with the primary goal of benefit. military , “ Rogozin said in August of last year. means”.

Elon Musk’s Starlink project has been and is being completed.

Meanwhile, the OneWeb ban is more interesting, as the company is using Russian Soyuz rockets to launch nearly all of the original satellites into orbit. The OneWeb satellite launches are scheduled for each month this year, mainly from the aerospace airports in Baikonur, Kazahkstan and Vostochny, in Russia. OneWeb is also the partner that has provided great support to the Russian rocket industry, which is struggling in the context of SpaceX winning all commercial launch contracts with this country.

Not to be outdone by its Western rivals, Russia is planning its own satellite Internet system, called “Sphere”. However, there are still many unanswered questions about the affordability of this project, which could begin to launch in 2024. The program’s budget has not been confirmed, but some reports suggest. it could go up to 20 billion dollars. This figure far exceeds the amount of money Russia spends on civil space. The current budget for Roscosmos, a Russian space corporation led by Rogozin, receives a mere $ 2.4 billion a year.

See arstechnica