Private company

General Satellite

Logo: Sulimoff, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons3

Manufacturer of television set-top boxes, based in Saint Petersburg, Russia

GS Group (before 2013 known as General Satellite) is the largest Russian developer and producer of set-top boxes for television. Since 1991 the company has been conducting systematic research and development work and producing radio electronic equipment. Its products and technology concepts are used in satellite broadcasting projects NTV-PLUS, Tricolor TV, Platform HD etc. and the total number of TV subscribers using set-top boxes produced by the company in Russia exceeds 7 million.2 Wikipedia text CC BY-SA 4.0

Last updated Oct 21, 2026.

Overview

1991Founded1
  • Industrytelecommunications1
  • HeadquartersSaint Petersburg1
  • Websiteen.gs-group.com
  • Legal formS.A., privately held company1

GS Group (before 2013 known as General Satellite) is the largest Russian developer and producer of set-top boxes for television. Since 1991 the company has been conducting systematic research and development work and producing radio electronic equipment. Its products and technology concepts are used in satellite broadcasting projects NTV-PLUS, Tricolor TV, Platform HD etc. and the total number of TV subscribers using set-top boxes produced by the company in Russia exceeds 7 million. In 2007 General Satellite became the main investor of the integral innovation project: "Technopolis GS: scientific and technological development territory", which is implemented in Gusev town, Kaliningrad Region. It was a major contractor for NTV-PLUS company in 90s in Russia.2

The story

1991 - year of foundation of the company. It was mostly active in the sales and installation of satellite TV systems.

1994 – signing agreements for exclusive sale of equipment with Pace Micro Technology (UK, until 2015) and Humax (S. Korea) companies. Company became supplier of satellite, cable and terrestrial TV equipment, and, particularly, the only Russian supplier of large-diameter antennas.

1995–1997 – the company was contracted to set-up NTV-PLUS television company facilities. It became the general distributor of the equipment for viewing NTV-PLUS channels.

2001 – the company has created Scientific and Research Division.

2003 – first domestically developed receiver with own software

February, 2005 – first Russian award for company's GS FTA-7001S digital receiver: "Best domestic (Russia, CIS, Baltic countries) development in the field of distribution and subscription equipment for satellite and cable TV".

November, 2005 – GS TE-7010 receiver was awarded the best low-budget terrestrial receiver based on polls made by "Digital Fernsehen", Germany.

2005 – launch of new Russian satellite TV project called [[Tricolor TV|Tricolor TV]]

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2007 – invesetments into building a plant for manufacturing set-top boxes in Gusev town, Kaliningrad Region.

2008 – invesetments "Technopolis GS: scientific and technological development territory" was developed.

February, 2nd, 2010 – GS Group announced launching of the first 3D-broadcasting in Russia and Eastern Europe.

From Wikipedia’s article on General Satellite, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.4

Products and brands

General Satellite carries out its own developments in the field of system solutions for satellite television, beginning with software and motherboard production and ending with digital content and network construction.

Prospective developments department was founded in 2002. Recent developments include hardware platform on STi5518 microchip, software for all receiver types, set-top box for NTV-plus satellite operator with integrated CAS Viaccess as well as several models of satellite and terrestrial subscription TV receivers. Presently the department carries out full development cycle. Engineering staff counts 250 specialists.

General Satellite conducts developments in the field of:

satellite receivers;

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cable receivers;

terrestrial receivers;

IP receivers;

specialized software and hardware solutions, as EPG (Electronic Program Guide) generators, conditional access system;

3D broadcasting.

From Wikipedia’s article on General Satellite, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.4

Timeline

  1. 1991Founded Founded1

Sources

The numbers on this page point here. Each one links to the record it came from.

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