print version6 billion rubles ($200 million) will be invested in the development of GLONASS navigation system, reports Comnews, with reference to the statement of General Director of Navigation and Information Systems (NIS), Alexander Gurko. The money will be spent on the creation of technologies and business solutions based on the system.
Besides, within the Technology Partnership, INS is to invest in the acquisition of software companies in Russia and abroad. First, the company will create a GLONASS commercial market in Russia, and then come into the world market - in the CIS, India, Middle East, South and Central America.
"Nowadays, there is a great demand for the navigation system, an alternative system to GPS, as the second global navigation system. GLONASS is currently the only system of this sort", said Gurko.
6 billion rubles will be collected from own company funds, borrowed funds and enterprise shareholders' money. We remind that NIS was founded by JSFC “Sistema” and “Rostelecom” in 2009, so in some ways, we are talking about public money.
Currently, navigation market in Russia (it is mostly GPS) reaches a total of 550 million dollars. By 2016 it is planned to bring the market up to the mark of $ 1 billion, at GLONASS’ cost. And in 2012-2013 there will be launched an emergency response program, called "GLONASS Era”.
Meanwhile, the GLONASS satellites continue to fail. Today, GLONASS system has 23 satellites. Only 19 of them function, 2 are immobilized, and 2 are temporarily withdrawn from the system.
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