On 8–9 September 2026, the seminar "Satellite Communications: Regulatory and Technical Aspects" was held in Bishkek at the KSTU named after I. Razzakov, organized by the ITU and Intersputnik with the support of the communications administration of Kyrgyzstan. This material covers how the meeting went and what it gave to regional cooperation. Following the round table, Viktor Strelets, Chairman of ITU-R Study Group 4 (SG 4), spoke about the positions of CIS countries regarding the deployment of satellite communication technologies, including work with global non-geostationary (NGSO) systems, and about why 80% of the agenda of the upcoming ITU World Radiocommunication Conference in 2027 is devoted to satellite technologies.
The seminar was organized by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the Intersputnik International Organization of Space Communications (Intersputnik) with the support of the Service for Regulation and Supervision in the Communications Industry under the Ministry of Digital Development and Innovation Technologies of the Kyrgyz Republic.
The seminar was held under the agreement signed by the ITU and Intersputnik at the World Telecommunication Development Conference in 2025. The seminar was attended by representatives of government agencies responsible for ICT development, as well as regulators, satellite operators, industry associations, universities, research centers, and other interested organizations.
The seminar took place at the Kyrgyz State Technical University named after I. Razzakov. The seminar program covered key regulatory and technical aspects of satellite communications.
Cosmas Zavazava, the Director of the Telecommunication Development Bureau at the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), mentioned that the seminar organized by ITU and Intersputnik is an important milestone in the implementation of the joint project on capacity‑building in satellite communications.
"This seminar has indeed reinforced the need, importance and value of regional cooperation. CIS region countries share spectrum resources and many common connectivity challenges. For that reason, close coordination on the use of radio‑frequency spectrum and orbital resources is essential, requiring strong cooperation between administrations, international organisations and industry. Such cooperation will lead to better use of available resources and create conditions for further expansion of connectivity", he added.
In the photo (from left to right): Mirlan Chynybaev, Rector of the Kyrgyz State Technical University; Altynbek Toktorbaev, Chairman of the Service for Regulation and Supervision in the Communications Industry under the Ministry of Digital Development and Innovation Technologies of the Kyrgyz Republic; Andrey Kirillovich, Director of the Department of Strategy, Marketing and Business Development at Intersputnik and Viktor Strelets, Chairman of ITU-R Study Group 4, Scientific Consultant at the M.I. Krivosheev Research Center-Telecom.
Viktor Strelets, Chairman of ITU-R Study Group 4 (SG 4), Scientific Consultant at the M.I. Krivosheev Research Center-Telecom, spoke about the key outcomes of the round table on the implementation of satellite communication technologies in CIS countries held at the seminar and the current position of the communications administrations of the region, and also explained why 80% of the agenda of the upcoming WRC-27 relates to the regulation of satellite services and how these decisions may affect the availability of satellite communications in the countries of the region.
— Next year, the World Radiocommunication Conference WRC-27 will be held. What issues related to satellite technologies will be considered at it?
80% of the agenda items of the upcoming World Radiocommunication Conference in 2027 relate to the regulation of satellite services. Virtually all applications of satellite technologies, even the allocation of frequency bands for satellite services on the Moon. Therefore, in one form or another, the conference decisions will affect virtually all satellite services. Of course, a number of agenda items are of greatest interest. These include:
- allocation of frequency bands for direct connectivity between space stations and user equipment of International Mobile Telecommunications (IMT) in addition to the coverage of terrestrial IMT networks;
- limitation of unauthorized operation of earth stations of non-geostationary satellite systems of the fixed-satellite and mobile-satellite services;
- technical and regulatory measures for satellite networks/systems to ensure equitable access to these frequency bands;
- technical and operational issues, as well as regulatory provisions, concerning space-to-space links between non-geostationary and geostationary satellites in the L-band frequency bands allocated to the mobile-satellite service;
- possible regulatory changes to promote the rational, efficient, and economical use of radio frequencies and any associated orbits, including the geostationary satellite orbit, and others.
It should be noted that WRC-27 may not be limited to consideration of the issues included in the conference agenda. It may be necessary to pay close attention to the revision of Article 22 regarding the criteria and conditions for compatibility of NGSO and geostationary satellite (GSO) networks operating in shared frequency bands.
— During the seminar, a round table was held on the implementation of satellite communication technologies, with participants from Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. What were the main outcomes of the discussion?
The main outcome of the round table was the exchange of experience and opinions on the implementation of satellite communication technologies in the countries of the region. In each country, the regulator has formed its own national requirements due to the absence of unified mandatory ITU requirements, so a wide range of topics related to the rules for issuing permits to foreign operators for the provision of satellite communication services in the territories of the countries was discussed. These requirements differ in different countries depending on the territory, terrain, potential number of users, development of national infrastructure, and so on. The parties agreed to continue discussing this topic at the next joint ITU-D/Intersputnik seminar, which will be held within the framework of the Intersputnik session in Dushanbe (Republic of Tajikistan) in April next year.
— Starlink satellite internet is expanding its presence in the CIS: in 2025, it officially became available in Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Kazakhstan, and in 2026 – in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. Against this background, the question arises: what do the communications administrations of the CIS countries currently agree on – that it is worth investing in their own independent low-orbit constellations, or that in current conditions the use of the ready-made Starlink solution is the optimal and economically justified way to connect yet-unconnected territories?
The CIS countries, with the exception of Russia, understand that their own independent low-orbit constellations are a very costly project (tens of billions of US dollars) and require highly qualified personnel and technological development. No CIS country, except Russia, currently has the ability to invest such funds. Whether it is optimal and economically justified to use the ready-made Starlink solution to connect yet-unconnected territories is a debatable question. For example, in Azerbaijan, the government has decided to focus on creating a national satellite constellation based on GSO networks, primarily to preserve digital sovereignty.
In Kazakhstan, the situation is different: the national operator of GSO satellite networks is adjusting its plans, as many connectivity solutions (for example, connecting schools) will be implemented using the services of foreign NGSO systems. Therefore, the question of whether the use of the ready-made Starlink solution is optimal and economically justified or a forced temporary solution is not simple and depends not only on technical or financial capabilities but also on politics.
— How is traffic control carried out today in the CIS countries where Starlink satellite internet is available?
Traffic is controlled in different ways. Some countries require a gateway station to be installed on their territory; others use such a station on the territory of another country and exercise control by transmitting subscriber traffic over terrestrial communication lines. Each country tries to solve the issue of implementing the system of operational investigative measures in accordance with its real capabilities. An NGSO satellite system operator will agree to install a gateway station if there is a certain number of subscribers and corresponding dynamics of customer base growth.
— D2D technology (Direct-to-Device, or "satellite-to-smartphone") is making a revolutionary breakthrough in telecommunications: according to forecasts by analytical agencies, by 2030 the number of active users of this technology worldwide will exceed 400 million, and almost half (about 46%) of all smartphones produced will support direct communication with satellites. At the same time, the D2D model creates risks of bypassing national regulators, losing control over traffic, and dependence on a private foreign company. Is it possible for countries to find a balance between connecting unconnected territories and protecting sovereignty?
This issue is being considered within the framework of studies under agenda items 1.13, 1.5, and 7 of WRC-27. Unfortunately, the regulation of the use of the radio frequency spectrum and satellite orbits by global NGSO systems with a large number of satellites is facing new challenges:
- adoption of decisions by national regulators in the interests of developing their own satellite technologies in violation of the provisions of binding international rules (in particular, the Radio Regulations);
- reduction of the role of notifying administrations (ITU Member States) in regulating the use of the RF spectrum and satellite orbits;
- reduction of the ITU's role in regulating the limited frequency-orbital resource, since the frequency of WRCs and, accordingly, decision-making significantly lags behind the pace of development of satellite technologies;
- and others.
The ITU Plenipotentiary Conference 2026 (PP-26) and WRC-27 must answer the question: will the regulation of the use of multi-satellite NGSO systems be international, taking into account the requirements of the ITU Constitution and Convention on equitable and efficient access to RF spectrum and satellite orbit resources, or will the unpredictability of corporations controlling global resources without a comprehensive international regulatory framework prevail.
"The joint project of the ITU and Intersputnik provides great assistance in improving the qualifications of regulators, industry representatives, and the scientific community in the field of regulating the use of the radio frequency spectrum and associated satellite orbits. The lecture presentations delivered by ITU-R staff comprehensively cover the activities of the Radiocommunication Sector and the current practice of the Bureau in regulating the radio frequency spectrum and satellite orbits," concluded Viktor Strelets.
More about the joint project of the ITU and Intersputnik – on the project page.
Seminar Recap Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2zV4j0H5y8