In a first, a private Indian company is set to offer satcom services through a locally-made satellite to users across the country, competing with global giants Starlink, Eutelsat OneWeb, and Amazon Kuiper.
Ananth Technologies, which already works with the government in the space domain, secured authorisation from space regulator Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe) for starting broadband from space services from 2028.
The company is looking to deploy a four-tonne geostationary (GEO) communication satellite that will offer 100 gigabits per second (Gbps) capacity to users. It is planning to invest Rs 3,000 crore in the venture with additional investments planned based on demand.
“Earlier, ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) used to build, launch and operate communication satellites. But after space reforms, the government has given the authorisation to Ananth Technologies to build, launch and operate the satellite,” Subba Rao Pavuluri, founder and CMD of Ananth Technologies told ET.
Since the company will be a satellite operator, it may launch more such satellites if the demand arises.
Unlike low earth orbit (LEO) satellites, like those of Starlink, OneWeb and Amazon, located 400-2,000 km from Earth’s orbit, GEO satellites are placed at over 35,000 km.
LEO satellites have an orbital period of 1-2 hours while that of GEO satellites is 24 hours, making the latter appear stationary as they orbit at the same rate of the Earth’s rotation.
Latency for GEO satellites is also higher as compared to LEO, making them the latter the preferred choice for high-speed broadband from space, say experts.
However, GEO satellites have better territorial coverage and just one satellite can be enough to cover India, unlike LEO satellites, which need a constellation to offer connectivity.
The government is encouraging homegrown companies to enter the nascent but growing domestic satcom market. The market currently lacks private sector participation with ISRO catering solely to connectivity needs.
However, Elon Musk-owned Starlink, Jeff Bezos-led Amazon Kuiper, Eutelsat OneWeb, and a Jio-SES joint venture are poised to enter India’s lucrative satcom market in the near future. Currently, there is no Indian company launching a LEO satellite constellation though Indian participation is expected in the future.
The government may reserve some orbital and spectrum resources for upcoming Indian satellites in a bid to safeguard the country’s interests. The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) is supporting Ananth Technologies to coordinate with other countries regarding frequency coordination.
India’s space economy is reckoned to have a potential to touch $44 billion by 2033, boosting its global share to 8% from 2% currently, as per IN-SPACe.
Space-based consumer broadband is yet to take off in India but with Starlink, OneWeb, and Jio Satellite set to offer services soon, demand is expected to surge for such services. As per a recent study by IN-SPACe, stakeholders said given affordability and acceptability, demand of about 1.5 to 2 terabyte per second (Tbps) is projected for the coming five years.
Ananth Technologies, which already works with the government in the space domain, secured authorisation from space regulator Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe) for starting broadband from space services from 2028.
The company is looking to deploy a four-tonne geostationary (GEO) communication satellite that will offer 100 gigabits per second (Gbps) capacity to users. It is planning to invest Rs 3,000 crore in the venture with additional investments planned based on demand.
“Earlier, ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) used to build, launch and operate communication satellites. But after space reforms, the government has given the authorisation to Ananth Technologies to build, launch and operate the satellite,” Subba Rao Pavuluri, founder and CMD of Ananth Technologies told ET.
Since the company will be a satellite operator, it may launch more such satellites if the demand arises.
Unlike low earth orbit (LEO) satellites, like those of Starlink, OneWeb and Amazon, located 400-2,000 km from Earth’s orbit, GEO satellites are placed at over 35,000 km.
LEO satellites have an orbital period of 1-2 hours while that of GEO satellites is 24 hours, making the latter appear stationary as they orbit at the same rate of the Earth’s rotation.
Latency for GEO satellites is also higher as compared to LEO, making them the latter the preferred choice for high-speed broadband from space, say experts.
However, GEO satellites have better territorial coverage and just one satellite can be enough to cover India, unlike LEO satellites, which need a constellation to offer connectivity.
The government is encouraging homegrown companies to enter the nascent but growing domestic satcom market. The market currently lacks private sector participation with ISRO catering solely to connectivity needs.
However, Elon Musk-owned Starlink, Jeff Bezos-led Amazon Kuiper, Eutelsat OneWeb, and a Jio-SES joint venture are poised to enter India’s lucrative satcom market in the near future. Currently, there is no Indian company launching a LEO satellite constellation though Indian participation is expected in the future.
The government may reserve some orbital and spectrum resources for upcoming Indian satellites in a bid to safeguard the country’s interests. The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) is supporting Ananth Technologies to coordinate with other countries regarding frequency coordination.
India’s space economy is reckoned to have a potential to touch $44 billion by 2033, boosting its global share to 8% from 2% currently, as per IN-SPACe.
Space-based consumer broadband is yet to take off in India but with Starlink, OneWeb, and Jio Satellite set to offer services soon, demand is expected to surge for such services. As per a recent study by IN-SPACe, stakeholders said given affordability and acceptability, demand of about 1.5 to 2 terabyte per second (Tbps) is projected for the coming five years.
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