It would be no mean feat given it would span around 3, 000km across Russia, Kazakhstan, Mongolia and into China, hooking up with the West-East gas pipeline in the Xinjiang region.

FORBES: President Putin's Growing Gas Insanity

Those other assets include stakes in a gold project in Kazakhstan and a coal mine in Mongolia.

WSJ: A Battle for Mongolia's Copper Lode

It's time for the Executive Branch to get off its collective butt before the U.S. joins the ranks of Kazakhstan, North Korea and Outer Mongolia when it comes to getting wired for broadband.

FORBES: No Shame

McGregor, who travelled through 12 countries with his friend and fellow actor Charlie Boorman over the summer, visited three Unicef projects in Mongolia, the Ukraine and Kazakhstan.

BBC: NEWS | Entertainment | McGregor gears up for work return