Plans have been made to launch the Belarusian communication satellite Belintersat 1 by March 2016, BelTA quotes from Andrei Abramov, the project’s supervisor, Deputy Director for Development of the Belarusian enterprise Precision Electromechanics Factory. Andrei Abramov explained: “The Belarusian-Chinese project to create the national satellite communication and broadcasting system in Belarus began in 2013. We plan to launch the satellite in the period from December 2015 through March 2016. Our Chinese partners say that it will be done before mid-March and are working hard to do it even sooner.” In his words, orbital testing will begin after that. 

“Once the satellite passes orbital trials, we will be ready to provide services to consumers. We plan to do that in early Q2 2016. Frankly speaking, we plan to offer communication services before the Belarusian satellite is launched by relying on resources of the satellite of a partner company. We are now choosing the partner that will be able to offer minimal prices to our consumers,” he remarked.