Broadband India Forum (BIF) on Tuesday lauded Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) for launching the Regional Communication Satellite for South Asia – GSAT 9 to fulfill the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. BIF also pointed out that the ISRO’s step highlights the great possibilities of modernised Satcom for connecting and delivering broadband in the country.
BIF Emeritus Chairman Shyamal Ghosh, in his welcome address, said, that the use of Satellite for providing internet services is perhaps the only way to cover the entire country. Its importance of meeting the objectives of Digital India and for providing ‘Broadband to All’ by 2020 cannot be overstated”.
Ghosh also said that while India through his own Department of Space and ISRO has made rapid strides in the areas of manufacture and launch of indigenous satellites and launch vehicles for satellites, India has a long way to go to meet the communication requirements of the country in an affordable, always available and accessible-to-all manner. While the global satellite industry is pegged at around 600 communication satellites, India has only a handful of them – all of which belong to ISRO.
Meanwhile, Managing Partner Arthe Law Abhishek Malhotra claimed that to improve and advance commercial communications through satellites, India needs to urgently optimize the involvement of the expert institutions, DoT and TRAI, in this aspect as clearly envisaged by the National Telecom Policy as amended from time to time, the power and authority of these institutions being derived from both The Telegraph Act, 1885 and the TRAI Act, 1997 as amended in 2000.
By Baishakhi Dutta
