U.S. satellite phone company Iridium has re-entered the Russian market after a 13-year hiatus, Vedomosti reported Thursday.
The operator received all the necessary licenses from the authorities, Iridium Russia CEO Viktor Glushko said.
Iridium plans to invest tens of millions of dollars in Russia, he said. Contracts and phones will be sold through distributors specializing in satellite equipment, such as Sattrans, Stek.kom and Gilat Satcom.
The operator began registering subscribers in late 2012 and has already connected thousands of new users, Glushko said. He added that by the end of 2013 their number is expected to grow by 20 to 25 percent, compared with the beginning of this year, mainly due to corporate clients such as airlines and shipping companies.
To attract new customers, Iridium will register users who have purchased satellite phones abroad and now use them in Russia illegally. According to Glushko, there are about 20,000 to 30,000 such users in the country.
Iridium officially ceased operations in Russia in 2000 after it went bankrupt.
Until recently, Globalstar has been the only provider of satellite phone services in Russia, Izvestiya reported.
The main consumers of satellite phone services in the country are currently insurgents in the North Caucasus, according to law enforcement agencies and the Defense Ministry. Satellite phones have traditionally been used in Russia by those who wanted to avoid being tracked.
Iridium will have to either register or block illegal subscribers in Russia by July, according to Izvestiya.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
