Russian legislators have recommended that the government provide guarantees on $225 million in Japanese and French credit lines to state company Space Communications.
The draft recommendation, drawn up after Monday parliamentary hearings on the state of and outlook for the country's telecoms sector, also proposes that the government allocate budget funding for the manufacture and launch of seven Proton-M carrier rockets with Briz boosters to put Express-AM communications and broadcasting satellites into orbit.
The funding is intended to meet State needs in this area for the next five years.
Lawmakers also recommend that the government provide $40 million in federal funding over three years to modernize the federal Moskva, Ekran and Orbita satellite network, and $37 million in funding for the existing presidential and government mobile satellite communications system.
Copyright 2001
