He called universal Internet access one of the priority areas to achieve the national goal of Russian economy digital transformation. It is important that every citizen can connect to the Internet without thinking about where to find it, Chernyshenko said.

“Broadband Internet should be everywhere, and this is one of the achievements of the last five years. This year all socially significant objects will be connected, and by 2024, 97% of households will have access to the Internet,” he recalled. 

After that, a small proportion of hard-to-reach settlements of up to 500 people will remain. “A separate project with a satellite constellation is being developed for them”, the Deputy Prime Minister said. After its launch, the Internet will be available throughout the country.