MegaFon and Byuro 1440 test mobile service linked through low-orbit satellites
In short
MegaFon and aerospace company Byuro 1440 (Бюро 1440) tested hybrid mobile communications in which an ordinary Yadro base station connects to the operator's network through a Russian low-orbit satellite constellation, which the outlets described as the first such test in Russia. The technology was shown at the Digital Solutions (Цифровые решения) forum in Moscow with a live broadcast from Krasnoyarsk Krai. According to the reports, the setup removes the need to lay a ground transport line to the base station.
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Mobile operator MegaFon and aerospace company Byuro 1440 (Бюро 1440) have tested hybrid mobile communications in which an ordinary base station connects to the operator's network through a Russian low-orbit satellite constellation, CNews and iXBT reported. CNews, iXBT and TASS all described it as the first such session in Russia. A Yadro base station provided the ground radio access. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
The companies demonstrated the technology at the Digital Solutions (Цифровые решения) forum in Moscow with a live video broadcast from Krasnoyarsk Krai. According to iXBT, data from a subscriber device went to the Yadro base station and was then carried through a satellite terminal and the low-orbit constellation into the operator's network. CNews, citing MegaFon representatives, reported that the broadcast ran from the Siberian taiga to a video-conference site in Moscow over a working network. TASS reported that during the broadcast Alexei Shelobkov (Алексей Шелобков), head of IKS Holding (ИКС Холдинг), spoke with a representative of Krasnoyarsk Krai, who confirmed that the link worked. CNews said Byuro 1440 is part of IKS Holding. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
The main advantage, iXBT wrote, is that no fibre-optic or radio-relay line has to be laid to the base station. Users keep ordinary mobile service, while the satellite segment only carries traffic between the base station and the rest of the operator's infrastructure. Unlike direct satellite links to smartphones, the subscriber device does not communicate with the satellite itself. CNews reported that the satellite terminal carried data between the remote site and the core of the operator's network. [ 1 , 2 ]
According to CNews, the setup allows mobile coverage to be extended with high-speed service and data volumes to be multiplied in any location, from remote industrial sites and expeditions to emergency zones. iXBT said the approach could be used in remote industrial areas where building ground communications infrastructure is difficult or uneconomic, and to restore mobile service quickly in emergency areas when ground lines are damaged. [ 1 , 2 ]
A general director quoted by CNews, whose name is cut off in the available text, called hybrid communication on working infrastructure a fundamentally new technology for the Russian telecom market. The executive said MegaFon was the first in the industry to sign a contract with Byuro 1440, in 2024, and later developed and presented its own satellite system for rapid deployment of 4G and 5G networks. The executive said the hybrid architecture lets the operator consider additional channels a priority for areas where traditional ground infrastructure is absent. [ 1 ]
Why it matters
According to CNews and iXBT, the approach could bring mobile service to remote industrial sites and restore it quickly in emergency zones without laying fibre-optic or radio-relay lines. A general director quoted by CNews said the hybrid architecture lets the operator treat additional channels as a priority for areas where there is no traditional ground infrastructure.
Key facts
- MegaFon and Byuro 1440 tested hybrid mobile communications through a Russian low-orbit satellite constellation. [ 1 , 2 ]
- A Yadro base station provided ground radio access, and the satellites carried traffic between the remote site and MegaFon's network. [ 1 , 2 ]
- The technology was demonstrated at the Digital Solutions forum in Moscow with a live broadcast from Krasnoyarsk Krai. [ 1 , 2 ]
- No ground transport line has to be laid to the base station. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Subscriber devices do not communicate with the satellite directly; they use the ground base station. [ 2 ]
- Byuro 1440 is part of IKS Holding (ИКС Холдинг). [ 1 ]
- During the broadcast, IKS Holding head Alexei Shelobkov (Алексей Шелобков) spoke with a representative of Krasnoyarsk Krai, who confirmed the link worked. [ 3 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- MegaFon and Byuro 1440 tested hybrid mobile communications through a Russian low-orbit satellite constellation. [ 1 , 2 ]
- A Yadro base station provided the ground radio access. [ 1 , 2 ]
- The technology was shown at the Digital Solutions forum in Moscow with a live broadcast from Krasnoyarsk Krai. [ 1 , 2 ]
- The session was described as the first of its kind in Russia. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- No ground transport line has to be laid to the base station. [ 1 , 2 ]
Still unclear
- Data rates and capacity achieved in the test. CNews describes the transmission only as high-speed; no document gives figures.
- The identity of the general director quoted by CNews. The name and company are cut off in the available CNews text.
- Whether or when the service will be offered commercially. No document says.