The race to provide exhaustive satellite broadband services in India

Source: The post is based on an article “The race to provide exhaustive satellite broadband services in India” published in The Hindu on 3^rd October 2022.

Syllabus: GS 3 – Indigenization of Technological Developments

Relevance: concerns associated with satellite broadband connectivity

News:  There has been a growing demand for providing satellite broadband connectivity in India. Companies like Jio, Oneweb, Hughes are preparing to provide these services.

Further, the development in satellite communication has made satellite broadband connectivity accessible even in the remote areas.

What are the developments made in global satellite communication?

There are two biggest developments in the global satellite communication space.

They are the emergence of LEO (low-earth orbit constellations) that provide global coverage and lower latency service and HTS (High Throughput Satellites Service) which offers unmatched capacity and flexibility.

Therefore, by using these developments different private companies are planning to provide satellite broadband services in India.

How satellite broadband services will change the Internet platform in India?

Satellite broadband services can connect the most remote parts of the country which are difficult to connect through fibers.

For example, Hughes India along with its partners is planning to provide high-speed satellite connectivity to 5,000 remote gram panchayats that lack terrestrial connectivity for fiber as part of BharatNet project.

Bharatnet project aims to make e-governance applications like telemedicine, access to land records, treasury, police stations, Internet access, and many other services easier in rural India.

Further, Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) service providers will provide internet connectivity In Flight and Maritime Connectivity (IFMC).

However, there are certain challenges associated with satellite broadband services.

What are the challenges with satellite broadband services?

Slow internet: Satellite data transfer provides very slow Internet speeds and limited satellite bandwidth because of the distances the signals have to travel.

Connectivity: Connection time can also be impacted by the surroundings, the length of message, and the status and availability of the satellite network.

Users might not be able to connect to a satellite at all if they are located under heavy greeneries like trees.

The Emergency SOS via satellite might not also work in places above 62° latitude like northern parts of Canada and Alaska.

Latency: Satellite Internet latency can also be a problem. Minor changes in weather can have a massive impact on both the speed and latency of satellite data.